Southampton have pushed their points total to 55 with a 1-0 victory over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.
It looked like both sides would share a point at the full-time whistle until a mistake by the home team allowed Rickie Lambert to clinch all three points in added time.
The Saints have secured eighth place in the table with one match left to play, while Swansea reside 13th following their final home game of the campaign.
Below, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes that unfolded at the Liberty Stadium.
Match statistics
Swansea City
Shots: 12
On target: 3
Possession: 38%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 11
Southampton
Shots: 18
On target: 4
Possession: 62%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 5
Was the result fair?
Considering Southampton had more control of the game and plenty of the possession, you could argue that Mauricio Pochettino's men deserved maximum points. However, neither side showed enough intent to win the game, and it was an error by Swansea captain Ashley Williams that led to Lambert grabbing all three points for the Saints. Since the goal came in the dying minutes of the match, a goalless draw looked the most likely outcome.
Swansea City's performance
The Swans set up far too narrow at the start of the match, which gave Southampton's Luke Shaw and Nathaniel Clyne plenty of space down the flanks to cause damage. Despite Wilfried Bony and Pablo Hernandez both having chances to find the back of the net, as the home side, you would have expected more pressure from them. As the second half progressed, the players looked content to settle for a goalless draw.
Southampton's performance
The Saints had all the possession and looked comfortable on the ball from the outset. Despite dominating the midfield areas, the players lacked that clinical touch in the final third to find the back of the net. Lambert was brought off the bench in the second half and eventually nabbed the winning goal for Southampton, but if it wasn't for Williams's mistake, a goal looked hard to come by.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Luke Shaw: Unfortunately there weren't many contenders for this position. Luke Shaw looked the most lively when he had the ball for Southampton, and he took advantage of the space that was given to him down the left flanks. He showcased his pace and a number of impressive crosses into the box, but he couldn't do enough to change the game.
Biggest gaffe
The would have to go to Williams's fumble in the second minute of added time. The Wales international's attempt to clear the ball flicked behind his goalkeeper Michel Vorm. As the shot-stopper attempted to rush back to collect the ball, Lambert was able to push in front and knock the ball into the back of the net with his shoulder after it bounced off the crossbar.
Referee performance
Due to the lack of tempo on the pitch, there weren't many issues that Anthony Taylor had to contend with. Early in the match, Jordi Amat brought down Sam Gallagher on the edge of the area. While it could have been mistaken for happening in the box, the match official made the right call to award a free kick.
What next?
Swansea City: The Swans' final match of the 2013-14 season is away to Sunderland.
Southampton: The Saints will take on Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Danielle Joynson
