Alan Pardew praised hat-trick hero Rickie Lambert as Saints saw off MK Dons for a fourth time this season.
The gaffer hailed the success over Paul Ince's side at stadium:mk, and was delighted to see his leading marksman celebrate his first hat-trick for the Club, the last of the three goals being particularly special.
"Rickie has set himself such high standards and he needed a goal, but the third he has been threatening all year wasn't a surprise to me. He's tried that two or three times and the way he strikes the ball it was obvious one was going to come off," Pardew explained.
"It was a great way to get his hat-trick and we gave a very disciplined performance. To beat a professional team, and a good team, four times in a season takes some doing. I've never experienced that as a player or a manager before and it's one hell of an achievement."
Lambert's predatory nature in front of goal took him to thirty in all competition for the season, and the manager that brought him to the Club believes that he has the potential to establish hero status at Saints.
"I can wax lyrical about Rickie but the reason our fans sing his name every week is they know how important he is to the team.
"He's got to take us through two divisions and he can. For me, that would make as big a legend as some of the big, big names we've had here - the Mick Channon's and Kevin Keegan's.
"He's in the first division at the moment and perhaps he doesn't deserve to be here, but he's in here and if he can get us out of both divisions then he will warrant that kind of tag.
"At the minute he's not done enough to be a legend of Southampton, but he's had a great first three quarters of the season.
There's a quarter left and he's still got to be the best goalscorer in the league and I hope he wins it.
"He's had a great season and that sets him up for the last ten games to finish the season as the best goalscorer in the division and for me the best player in the division.
"He's just got to keep his standards as if he does that certainly another five will come his way, maybe more. He's a really great lad and sometimes he's a little bit laid back in his manner but it was really Rickie's game, especially second half."
The victory keeps hopes of a play-off push alive, but the manager is looking no further than the next game as the league campaign rolls on against Hartlepool on Tuesday night.
"We're winning games and that's what we're paid to do.
"We slipped up in the week and if you see that game on another day like we did against MK Dons in the first half when we played a lot better, then we win the game. That's how football rolls sometimes.
We got a break in what was a pretty staid game at times and then we looked comfortable."
"We have to win every game - we know the scenario. It hasn't really changed much from getting beat by Swindon.
"We know we've got to win nine or ten games, this team potentially could do that and I can't say that about many teams I've had. But a break, a referee making a poor decision could still cost us.
"We've put ourselves on the cusp and that's where we are in every game - if we win, we stay in the race."
