Saturday 4 April 2015 18:28, UK
Southampton boss Ronald Koeman praised his players despite their 1-0 defeat at Everton and insists they will not give up on a Champions League place.
Saints missed the chance to leapfrog Liverpool into fifth in the Premier League, dropping eight points short of fourth-placed Manchester United.
But Koeman insists his side did all they could to get something from the game and could not find fault with their performance.
He told Sky Sports: “The final result is very disappointing but not the performance. We played well and made the game from the first minute.
“We were unlucky with their goal and in the second half it was more difficult to create chances. I have to say Everton played well defensively – they were well organised and it was hard to create and score.
“We deserved a better result because we played at a good level, especially in possession, but it’s about scoring - and we didn’t.
“If we continue like this then we will finish in a good position. The opportunity to do something special this season remains.
“We did everything, we finished the game with three defenders and lots of attackers but it wasn’t enough today.”
