Southampton ended the season with a 1-0 loss against a strong Stoke City side.
It was a poor performance from both sides, to be frank, but it was ex-Saints and Pompey striker Peter Crouch who made the difference.
Claude Puel made two changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Man United, as Ryan Bertrand replaced Matt Targett and Charlie Austin made his first start since December, replacing Manolo Gabbiadini.
Saints started well as they were pushed on by the terrific atmosphere from the South Coast, and had a few good chances to score, with Austin going close on a few occasions.
Stoke’s only chance of the first half came from a rare Cedric Soares error, as a weak pass back found the feet of Crouch, but Maya Yoshida made an outstanding sliding tackle to keep Saints in the game.
Southampton had the majority of the ball in the second half, but couldn’t find a way through the impressive Jack Butland.
As the game went on, it became more likely that Stoke were going to grab a winner, and they did with half an hour left on the clock, as a cross was met by a good header at the back post by Crouch, who gave his side the lead.
Saints tried to push on for a late goal, but Stoke held firm, as Jack Butland made a terrific triple save to keep his side in front.
Steven Davis had a good chance to grab a point in the dying embers, but his weak free kick from close range hit the wall, and Saints finished the season with a game that very much resembled their entire season.
Here are five things we learnt after the loss:
