FOR A team who went into the last game of the season knowing they could still be relegated Southampton displayed an amazing lack of urgency at Villa Park yesterday. As it happened, results elsewhere ensured that the south coast club will again be playing Premiership football next season, even though their campaign ended in defeat.

An own goal by Richard Dryden after only 12 minutes was enough to ensure that Aston Villa will again be competing in the European top flight.

Souness's only concern was the alarming number of goals his defence have conceded this season. "You can see where our troubles lie. Our defensive record has been abysmal . .. Obviously, I am already thinking in terms of strengthening that department during the summer.

But Souness was quick to point out that Southampton are among the paupers of the Premiership. "I spent £5 million last summer, but brought £4 million in. I would say that our spending is on a par with the lower end of the first division, that is why my players deserve great credit for keeping us in the Premiership," he said.

The unfortunate Dryden, a modest £150,000 signing from Bristol City last August, stretched to meet a teasing centre from the right by Fernando Nelson, and could only steer the ball past his own goalkeeper, Mark Taylor. That left Southampton on a knife edge.

It was only when Souness decided to introduce Matthew Le Tissier from the substitutes' bench in the 72nd minute that the visitors began to shake themselves into life. Le Tissier almost produced a spectacular goal 13 minutes from the end when a freekick from 35 yards had the Villa goalkeeper, Mark Bosnich, scampering across his goal line to claw it away for a corner.

Le Tissiser thought he had equalised in the 88th minute with a spectacular overhead kick, but the Worthing referee Gary Willard had already blown for a foul by the England international on Bosnich.

The Villa manager, Brian Little, admitted he was delighted that Villa had another chance in Europe next season.

"We were very disappointed to go out in the first round last September even though we did not lose either game to Helsingborgs. But hopefully, we have learned a lot from that and can make much better progress next time."