Perhaps the most atmospheric atmosphere ever at St Mary's Stadium as Saints stormed to a Wembley play off final against Leeds United in fine style. A true team performance from both players and supporters.
There was no real shocks in the starting line up before kick off, Che Adams was still absent through injury and Jack Stephens stayed in the side at left back, in came David Brooks for Sekou Mara and Ryan Fraser for Ryan Manning.
Southampton supporters turned up in their thousands before the game to welcome the team coach, a spectacular sight with day turning into night as the air was filled with red smoke, even the biggest sceptic of such behaviour could not have failed to be impressed.
But if the home fans were hoping this would be the catalyst that sparked a rout of the Baggies they would be wrong, the atmosphere in the ground was electric with a sea of red & white all around and noise from all four stands, but on the pitch it was rather cagey, neither side managing to really impose themselves on the game as they would wish.
It was Saints who had the best chance of the half with David Brooks almost scoring, but at the break it was all even.
It was a nervous atmosphere in the concourses during the break and a fair few might well have missed the opening goal shortly after the restart, Will Smallbone started and ended a fine move as he firstly intercepted a West Brom pass, slipped it to Brooks who carried the ball and rolled it back to Smallbone who took it in his stride and with his 3rd touch smashed the ball past the keeper from what was a much tighter angle than it looked.
Cue massive celebrations and you felt that Saints were now in the driving seat, but it would be a while before the game would be finally put to bed.
Saints had a cast iron penalty appeal turned down when David Brooks was brought down by a scissor kick sliding tackle from Kipre, tv replays showed that the West Brom man did not play the ball but took Brooks legs from him, but with no VAR there was no second chance.
We were now in control but whilst there was only a single goal in it, there was always the danger of a slip up.
The nerves were settled with 12 minutes or so left, Flynn Downes carried the ball forward and slipped it to Adam Armstrong who fired it home from the edge of the box across the keeper just inside the post.
St Mary's went wild again and now there was a barrage of constant noise with not a single Southampton supporter staying silent or thinking of leaving early., West Brom's travelling army were now slowly heading to the exits and the trickle was about to become a stream.
They saw the game well and truly put to bed with 4 minutes to go, Ryan Manning being brought down in the box, I have to say that if VAR had been watching this one, then it might well have been overturned, but the truth was justice was served.
The home crowd knew that the game was now won, you sensed this was a Saints team with a mission and resolute, they were back to the form that saw them go 22 games unbeaten in the League during the middle part of the season.
Even 7 minutes of injury time coming up did not phase the team or the crowd, although the Baggies did silence the crowd for a few seconds when they headed home unchallenged in the final seconds.
The final whistle sparked much celebrations and the crowd soon poured onto the pitch, some on social media have been moaning about this saying we have won nothing yet, they are right, but for many years starting in 1976, it was traditional for Saints supporters to pour on the pitch after the game and the team acclaim their support from the directors box, nothing was won for almost 30 years after that, it is more about being at one with the team than celebrating a trophy.
In the directors box in 2024 there was just as much celebrating as in the other parts of the ground with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joining the Sport Republic owners in celebration of the win.
This was truly a team performance, yes there were a couple of dodgy moments, but to be blunt few teams go a whole game without the odd chance against them being missed.
I would have given 9/10 for everyone who played, whether it was the goalkeeper, the back four, the midfield or the attack, we were well drilled with everyone knowing their job, as I implored in the preview, keep it simple and we did.
The substitutions were well made and meaningful, fresh legs when needed both as the game came into it's final stage with the score at 1-0 and also in the dying minutes when at 3-0 Shea Charles and Joe Rothwell came on for Joe Sribo & Will Smallbone to make sure that we didn't concede a goal to give West Brom hope, although that did happen, by then there were seconds left, there was no danger.
So a great display both on and off the pitch and now Southampton fans need to repeat the same at Wembley, in 1976 we made the old Stadium a sea of yellow & blue at one end, now we need to do as we did last night make it a sea of red & white.
We can go there with confidence, we know what this side can do and now they have to do it again for the final time this season.
I like many of you reading will already have our tickets, like last night this is the latest biggest game of the season, time for another day of colour and noise, Leeds fans will be up for it and we have to match them.