In the away end, the fans made their voices heard, but a younger fan laughed and shook his head after a person nearby asked when they had conceded.
"I know, right, mate," he said before following up with a little chuckle.
"We've conceded, but I don't feel like we have."
An older man beside him leaned forward, eyes never leaving the pitch until it finally did when he replied.
"That's because this lot have earned it," he said calmly.
"They've played well enough for us to believe for the past couple of months, and that is not something we are used to. It's new. We used to hope. But now we can believe."
Around them, the chants picked up again, right before a sharp voice cut through them, sending the fans all glancing towards the pitch.
"Come on, let's go!"
The shout pulled everything back to the pitch where Joe Bennett had stepped inside with the ball, carrying it just enough to draw a Southampton shirt before slipping a pass diagonally into the middle.
