Saints had 'pure desire' to beat Blades - Eckert

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert was full of praise for his side after they beat Sheffield United at St Mary's to bring a run of seven league games without a win to an end.

Leo Scienza scored a deflected goal for his fourth of the season in the first half for the game's only goal.

Saints then hung on throughout the second to pick up a rare clean sheet and take all three points.

"After a long spell (of not winning) the first win is always the hardest," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"We had to dig very deep and in the end it was just pure desire to win that game of football.

"It comes from so deep inside to grind out games and credit to the boys because they put so much into every minute of the game, today we were much more direct and we got the ball forward a bit quicker."

Saints are next in action on Sunday when they travel to Fratton Park for the second installment of the south coast derby this season.