On a glorious day at St Mary's Stadium, which reminded you summer wasn't quite over, North End reminded the Championship that they were a good side, with a well-deserved point at St Mary's Stadium and they were unlucky not to have got all three.

North End had an excellent following who had made the trip to the south coast, so much so, that the Southampton stewards had to open another section to accommodate them all and they sang throughout, drawing much deserved applause from the players at the end of the game.

Simon Whaley grabbed a second half equaliser, forcing home keeper Kelvin Davis into a mistake on 50 minutes after Grzegorz Rasiak had put the home side in front just before the interval and it was no less than they deserved, dominating much of the first period and then soaking up the Saints' pressure in the last half hour.

North End were in their 'Brazilian' away kit which glistened as the team lined up before kick-off, drawing a roar from the away support at the opposite end, after Graham Alexander won the toss and swapped them round.

A sickening song of 'there's only one Ben Thatcher' from the home crowd brought cries of disgust from the Preston fans and the rest of football.

Some excellent play by Nugent in the seventh minute brought about the first real chance, as he drove past Gareth Bale and into the box, before drilling the ball across the six yard box, but unfortunately there was no PNE foot there to poke it home.

The yellows looked sharp, winning a lot of balls in the centre of the park and closing everything down quickly and with a real energy, missing on Tuesday night at Port Vale. And it was the persistence of the midfield that created another chance.

Sedgwick won the ball and played it over the top to Nugent. He ran onto the ball and curt inside again, before putting a low ball into the near post. Dichio went in with Davis and the keeper, at the second attempt, managed to just grab the ball before it was poked home, with 15 minutes on the clock.

North End won the first corner, through Whaley, on 18 minutes and this gave Danny Pugh a chance to deliver into the box. His left footed effort caused mayhem, with legs and head flying, but somehow the home side cleared it up field.

The home side's first corner soon followed with Rasiak the main threat in the box, but Pugh managed to get his head on the ball and although it fell to Bradley Wright-Phillips, his effort was well over Carlo Nash's cross bar.

Davis was the busier keeper and was forced into another fine save when a clever ball from Alexander found Sedgwick in the box; he turned and shot low and hard and David forced the ball behind for a corner with his legs. From McKenna's cross Dichio met it, but his glancing header whisked past the right hand post (24).

With 33 minutes gone, PNE won another corner and Pugh's ball seemed to be heading to St Ledger, until he looked to be pushed to the floor, the ball was flicked out, but the referee just pointed for a goal kick, much to the yellows' annoyance.

The game was being slowed down by the fussy Pat Miller with the whistle, but it was still North End who were playing the slicker football, with their fluid midfield four making it difficult for the home side to pick up.

More great link up play by the yellows, as a long ball from Nash was headed on by Nugent to Dichio, he turned the ball back round the corner to Nugent, who hit a low shot with the outside of his left foot, but Davis got down low and claimed it cleanly.

Carlo Nash was called into action for the first time with just three minutes left in the half as a long ball found its way to the left hand side and the big keeper had to parry the ball round the post from Surman's low effort.

The opening goal followed immediately as a quickly taken corner caught North End napping a low ball into the six yard box found Grzegorz Rasiak unmarked to head home from close range, to put the home side 1-0 up, very much against the run of play.

This was the last real play for the interval and was really a bitter blow for Paul Simpson's side, who until that point had dominated the play and had the majority of the chances.

Jermiane Wright came on for Lallana for the home side at the break, George Burley to tighten up his midfield, but it didn't work in the opening minutes as Nugent raced through again and forced Davis into another fantastic low save to deny the front man a deserved equaliser.

And that equaliser came moments later as Davis' luck ran out! A free kick was awarded for a foul on Whaley 25 yards out and Whaley himself drilled it low under the wall and it trickled through Kelvin Davis' legs and over the line (50).

It was no more than the North End performance deserved and that little bit of luck that is needed came with it as well.

Davis was now having a 'mare as he couldn't claim Pugh's pacy cross that almost brought the lead for the yellows and this was frustrating the home crowd and players as the whistles and boos started from the terraces.

Nugent was unlucky not to be clean through in the 57th minute when McKenna's excellent header put the ball behind the home defence, but a heel of 'Pele' prevented him going one on one with Davis. Nugent became the first player booked shortly after (58) for a late challenge on the same player.

Up the other end a corner for the home side was headed clear by Dichio and the second effort headed away by Pugh; the two of them working very hard for the cause both in attack and defence.

St Ledger also went into the book, but he was unfortunate after a clash of heads to be the one to suffer the consequences, but this did give the Saints the chance to win another corner.

Rasiak threw himself to the floor looking for a penalty on 70 minutes, but the referee saw nothing, much to the chagrin of the home fans, but the Pole was lucky not to go into the book for diving.

Another change for the home side on 72 minutes with Kenwyne Jones on for Rasiak and a final change saw Nathan Dyer, the former Burnley loan player, replace Surman with 15 minutes left on the clock. At the same time Agyemang came on for Dichio in North End's first change.

Danny Pugh was booked for dissent after a free kick was awarded to the home side on the right hand edge of the box on 78 minutes and the delivery of the free kick needed Nash to palm the ball over the bar.

Fantastic thinking from Alexander with a quick free kick almost put Nugent in again, but his first touch took him wide and the chance was wasted hit the home side on the break after a spell of pressure on the yellows by George Burley's side.

North End had the ball in the net on 85 minutes when Agyemang poked home from Nugent's shot, but the linesman's flag went up. But it was the Lilywhites who were finishing stronger and they won a corner on 86 minutes.

The sun came back out for the final minute as North End brought on Lewis Neal for David Nugent, who'd worked hard upfront and was unlucky again not to be on the scoresheet.

Three minutes stoppage time ran down quickly and North End were heading on that long journey back to Deepdale with a well-deserved point after a very hard-working display at the St Mary's Stadium.

PNE line-up: Nash, Wilson, Chilvers, St Ledger, Alexander; Sedgwick, McKenna, Pugh; Whaley; Nugent (Neal, 86), Dichio (Agyemang, 76). Subs not used: Lonergan, Neal, Agyemang, Hill, McCormack.

Southampton line-up: Davis, Bale, Pele, Baird, Makin; Skacel, Lallana (Wright, 46), Viafara, Surman (Dyer, 76); B Wright-Phillips, Rasiak (Jones, 72). Subs not used: Miller, Fuller.

Attendance: 20,712

Referee: Pat Miller