It was a tense nervous day at St Mary's Stadium for perhaps the most important match ever played at the Stadium, but not for long.
This is a very simple verdict to write, basically after 45 games we had to win one final game to be certain of promotion, on paper it looked easy, but as the old cliche goes it was on grass, but just when Saints needed to put in a good shift they did just that for perhaps the most comprehensive win of the season.
It needed an early goal and after a slightly nervy start from Saints thats just what it got with Billy Sharp showing why he is perhaps the most prolific scorer at the club, of course Lambert does the spectacular, but Sharp compliments him brilliantly, the opening goal was typical of the striker, a tiny deflection to Adam Lallana's shot that ensured it went in and it was fitting that it was Sharp whose goals have proved vital in the last couple of months.
The second wasnt long in coming and not for the first time this season it was Danny Fox who delivered a pin point ball into the box from a corner that left Fonte with a free header, under 20 minutes on the clock and Saints had done just what they needed to do and killed the game early on.
From then on the result was never in doubt, the only question was how many would Saints get, after half time Saints did another quick double with goals from Hooiveld and Lallana in the space of four minutes and the job was done, the only surprise was with almost half an hour left there werent more goals, but Saints clearly had the game won and made sure that they didnt give Coventry an unlikely way back into it, all that was left was the celebrations.
You cant pick a man of the match, they all played to their A game as they say in the States, every man from Kelvin Davis in goal up to Rickie Lambert up front played their heart out and deserve the man of the match award.