Town will go into the final day of the season needing to beat QPR at Portman Road to definitely secure promotion back to the Premier League following a pulsating 2-2 draw with Southampton at St Mary’s. After a goalless but still entertaining first half, the Blues took the lead through Wes Burns three minutes after the restart, however, Ryan Manning’s deflected free-kick levelled the scores 10 minutes later, before Cyle Larin put the Saints in front in the 80th minute and Jack Clarke equalised for Town with three minutes remaining, Town going close to winning it three more times before the end.

The Blues made five changes from the team which secured a goalless draw at West Brom on Saturday.

Leif Davis returned at left-back following his hamstring issue with Dan Neil coming into the midfield, Burns wide on the right, his first start since his calf injury, Marcelino Nunez at number 10 and Jaden Philogene on the left.

Cedric Kipre, Kasey McAteer, Anis Mehmeti and Clarke dropped to the bench, while Jack Taylor was absent from the 20-man squad.

Southampton, who needed to win to maintain their hopes of a top-two finish, made three changes from the team which lost 2-1 to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday with Manning, Shea Charles and Larin coming into the team and Welington, Cameron Bragg and Ross Stewart dropping to the bench.

Former Blues loanee James Bree started, but ex-midfielder Flynn Downes was suspended.

With the game being played in a significant wind, Town were first to threaten in the fourth minute, Philogene bringing the ball in from the left before hitting a shot which Daniel Peretz in the Saints’ goal palmed away to his right.

The ball was kept in play and Neil crossed low from the left but home skipper Taylor Harwood-Bellis did well to toe the ball over his own bar. From the corner, Ivan Azon rose high at the back post but sent the ball deep into the stand behind the goal.

Town had been the better side in the early stages, although with the strong wind behind them causing a number of passes forward to be overhit.

But on 13, the home side struck their first effort of the game, Larin found by Finn Azaz just inside the area, turning and hitting a shot just over Christian Walton’s cross-bar.

Two minutes later, the Blues might have gone in front when Azon hassled Harwood-Bellis, scorer of an own goal in the 1-1 draw at Portman Road earlier in the season, into an error as they chased a wind-assisted ball down the middle. The Spaniard got onto it behind the defender but shot straight at Peretz.

Just after the 20-minute mark, Azor Matusiwa fouled Leo Scienza wide on the left. The free-kick was sent in by Ryan Manning and Larin headed tamely to Walton.

Within a minute, Burns did well to turn his man midway inside the Southampton half, took it on but struck wide from 20 yards while stumbling.

In the 25th minute, Walton played a pass down the middle for Azon, who flicked it behind him towards Philogene bursting in from the left. The former Aston Villa man held off Bree and broke forward but his shot was too close to Peretz, who claimed with little fanfare.

Town continued to have the better of it and on 26 Burns shot not too far over from distance.

On 28, the Saints counter-attacked after Nunez had underhit a pass to Burns, Scienza eventually taking to the turf under the attention of Blues skipper O’Shea but with referee Thomas Kirk showing no interest.

The game was becoming more open and just before the half hour O’Shea did well to slide in and block a Larin shot with the Canadian having been found in a dangerous area on the right of the box and the Irishman the last defender.

Southampton had a spell on top and on 34 Davis threw himself in front of an Azaz shot before Neil cut out a cross from the right.

Following the corner, the Blues broke through Philogene with numerous teammates joining him but the winger lost possession to Caspar Jander before he could make it count.

The Saints were next to threaten, a half-cleared ball dropping to Azaz on the left of the area, the Irish international’s volley slamming off Darnell Furlong for a corner. The home players and fans claimed a penalty but referee Kirk waved the protests away with the ball having hit the defender’s arm but not in an unnatural position.

Momentum swung back towards the Blues, Davis floating a free-kick from midway inside the Southampton half to the right post but O’Shea’s cushioned pass into the danger area looped over.

With the game in one minute of time added on, a cross from the left was nodded down to Larin by Azaz, Greaves sliding into stab it away from the Saints attacker with Matusiwa also battling. The loose ball fell to Azaz, whose effort was blocked, the Saints again appealing for a penalty, although with little real case.

The whistle went soon afterwards to boos from the home support aimed towards referee Kirk, which was harsh on the official with the various penalty shouts ambitious at best.

The half had developed into the end-to-end affair which had been anticipated with the Blues having shaded it overall with Saints keeper Peretz having been forced to stretch himself more than Walton.

Both teams had had spells on top with the wind also having been a factor, as it will again be in the second half.

Southampton brought the best out of Blues keeper Walton a minute after the break, Larin hooking a chipped ball in from the left just under the bar but the keeper reacted superbly to turn it over.

And in the 48th minute, from their first attack of the second half, the Blues went in front.

Greaves did superbly to stab the ball away from a Saints player midway inside the home side’s half, before scooping a pass forward for Azon, who did superbly to knock it down to his left with his back to goal, then get to it ahead of a defender and poke into the path of Burns, who smashed into the net past Peretz to the keeper’s left from just inside the box.

The Welshman, a Town legend of the modern era, ran over to the right corner to the jubilant Blues supporters before being joined by his teammates.

The Blues continued to take the game to the Saints, Azon momentarily appearing to have an opening in the area before losing his footing.

Southampton then broke forward down the left through Scienza, who fed in Azaz, Greaves getting across to block with the Saints wrongly awarded a corner after the ball ricocheted off the former Middlesbrough man.

Town had looked the more dangerous side since the break but in the 58th minute the home side levelled.

Greaves slid in to challenge Azaz just outside the box, referee Kirk waving the first yellow card of the match with the Saints supporters calling for a red.

Manning took the free-kick, his low effort taking a deflection which wrong-footed Walton, who could only manage to get a toe on it to help it into the roof of the net.

The goal lifted the mood in St Mary’s with the home fans getting behind their team noisily, however, it was Town who would go close next, Philogene bringing the ball into the area in space on the left and hitting a right-foot shot just across the face and just beyond the corner of bar and post.

After Charles had shot over for the Saints, the Blues made their first changes of the evening in the 67th minute with Philogene and Burns, both on the way back after injuries, making way for McAteer and Clarke. The Saints made their first switch soon after with Sam Edozie taking over from Tom Fellows.

The substitutions saw the momentum move back towards Town, the Blues winning two corners on the right, then a third on the left after Greaves had headed against a defender’s back and out of play.

Nunez’s ball in was weakly dealt with by Peretz to Furlong, but the full-back headed into the keeper’s arms.

Peretz quickly threw the ball out to allow his side to break and Azon, who knew he was about to be subbed, pulled back Larin on halfway, accepting his inevitable booking and then apologising to the Saints frontman.

Azon, who had been a handful all evening for the home defence, made way moments later, Hirst taking over, while Nunez was replaced by Jens Cajuste, who took up a deep number 10 role.

On 77, Azaz shot only just past Walton’s right post after Town had made heavy weather of getting the ball out of their box.

But Town were continuing to take the game to the Saints, Clarke playing a ball behind his waiting teammates from the left.

However, in the 80th minute the home side went in front. The Blues were caught with too many men forward. Manning was found in space midway inside the Town half and played forward for Larin, who took the ball inside Davis and Greaves, who got somewhat in one another’s way, before shooting across Walton and into the net.

While the Saints fans celebrated, their team swapped Larin for Stewart, while Town switched Matusiwa for Chuba Akpom.

After defending a corner on the right, the Blues counter-attacked, Hirst crossing from the right behind McAteer, whose effort on the turn was straight at Peretz, much to the former Leicester man’s frustration.

Town were throwing more and more men forward and in the 87th minute they levelled. Clarke sent a ball to the far post, O’Shea knocked it down and it was cleared out to the winger, who hit his 16th goal of the season past Peretz.

Having got back on terms, the Blues went looking for a winner and it looked like they’d grabbed it in the 88th minute when Furlong headed just wide at the back post from a left-sided Davis cross.

Town went even closer a minute later when Clarke shot past Peretz to his left, off the post, off the keeper and wide.

After the fourth official had indicated an extra five minutes, the Saints had a spell on top, before the Blues had the ball in the net, Hirst tapping home from close range but with the flag having been raised in the build-up for Neil having strayed offside.

Town were in the ascendancy as the game moved into its final minute, Clarke taking the ball into the area on the left before hitting a shot towards the far post which Peretz finger-tipped just wide.

That was the last chance of a rip-roaring, end-to-end basketball match which could have been won by either team but with Town having had more of the opportunities overall.

The Blues will feel they had to work harder for their goals than the Saints’ deflected free-kick and counter-attack. Town will also wonder how Clarke’s late strike which hit the post didn't go in and how Peretz stopped his final moments effort.

Both teams threw everything at taking all three points on a great night for the neutral but a nervy one for Town fans and supporters. Southampton can now no longer finish second whatever the results on Saturday.

The draw moves the Blues a point ahead of Millwall ahead of the final game but makes little real odds given the goal difference situation.

The Town support faces another big Portman Road May afternoon on Saturday when QPR visit with their side still needing that one win to see them back to the Premier League, although could still go up without a victory depending on Millwall and Middlesbrough’s results.

Southampton: Peretz, Bree, Harwood-Bellis (c), Wood, Manning, Jander, Charles, Fellows (Edozie 69), Azaz, Scienza, Larin (Stewart 81). Unused: Long, Quarshie, Welington, Jelert, Romeu, Bragg, Archer, Stewart.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis, Matusiwa (Akpom 82), Neil, Burns (McAteer 67), Nunez (Cajuste 75), Philogene (Clarke 67), Azon (Hirst 75). Unused: Palmer, Kipre, Johnson, Mehmeti. Referee: Thomas Kirk (Cheshire). Att: 31,280.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters