Gary O'Neil: Wolves players deserved first win

Goals in each half from Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha secured a first three points this season, marking just the second win in 21 games and the first clean sheet in 23, going back to last season.

And O'Neil, relieved at easing the pressure on his position, says the players earned that win.

"The players deserve it, they've put in an awful lot of work," O'Neil said.

"We lacked some quality in some moments but what we didn't lack was togetherness and fight.

"We deserved to win the game, of course. Southampton is a unique test and we worked hard on our out of possession work, but then they came in a different system than we expected.

"The lads had to get through the first part of the game having to figure out what to do and it wasn't really until we got them in at half-time that we could help them.

"In the second half I thought we were excellent without the ball, with good pressure and loads of regains.

"Maybe we lacked a little bit of quality on transitions to hurt them even further, but we didn't feel under any real threat once we got to grips with the shape. 

"It was a nervy first half, as you would expect in the circumstances."

The game was not without some controversy, however, as Southampton's second half equaliser was ruled out by VAR for a foul on Nelson Semedo by Mateus Fernandes.

The goal was originally given, until referee Thomas Bramall was called over to the pitchside monitor by VAR and it was overturned.

Saints boss Russell Martin was adamant that Ryan Manning's goal should have stood, but O'Neil insisted it was a clear foul and he was surprised at the talk around the decision.

"It was a foul on Nelson," O'Neil added.

"If I was Southampton I'd feel hard done by because it's landed to their lad and he's smashed it in the top corner, but there's a lot of force that goes through Nelson's leg.

"He gets his body across and in front, in a good position, and if he isn't brought down there's no way that ball reaches Manning. I thought it was a foul.

"I didn't see it live, I thought we'd conceded a goal, but when I watched it back on the monitor I was fairly hopeful that the right decision would be reached.

"I'm surprised that so many people have asked the question in the nature they have, because it sounds like there may be some doubt around it.

"I thought it was fairly clear-cut. There was a lot of force, Nelson gets himself in front and there's big force through his standing leg, giving him no chance to clear the ball."

Wolves now enter the international break having moved off the bottom of the Premier League table after beating Southampton at Molineux.