Onuachu dedicates first goal to the fans

The striker netted an emphatic header in added time during Saints' 3-2 defeat at Nottingham Forest and, although the result took the shine off that moment, Onuachu was understandably also pleased to be off the mark for the team.

Afterwards, he paid tribute to the fans for the way they have stuck by him since his arrival two years ago.

"I mean, it's a good feeling to score, but disappointing we lost, but I'm happy that I scored in front of the fans," he said. "The away fans, they were brilliant, they've been supportive even though we are last on the table and they've been also cheering for me to get this goal. I think all kudos to them for the goal because they've been really cheering for me to get the first goal."

Onuachu added: "They've been brilliant. Even though we've been last in the table they've been travelling everywhere, full everywhere, I mean I'm just going to dedicate this goal to them because they've been supportive to be honest, they're cheering for me when sometimes I've played a good game, played not so good game, they are still 'Paul, come one, come on' and still cheering. It's nice to see."

Onuachu came off the bench on 58 minutes at the City Ground with Saints 3-0 down and he quickly helped spark what was almost a sensational comeback, helping to tee up his team's first goal with an excellent knock-down to fellow sub Lesley Ugochukwu, whose shot flicked in off Jan Bednarek, before he headed in from a Mateus Fernandes corner at the start of added time.

On what manager Ivan Jurić had said to him, Onuachu explained: "For me, when I came on, he just said 'Paul, go fight, try to keep the ball' and I just did what he asked me. Of course, the whole team in the second half, they were full of energy, Lesley was brilliant again, an amazing player to watch. It was disappointing that we lose, but of course as a striker you have confidence that you get the first goal for Saints and I think the fans will be happy for me."

Onuachu continued: "At Manchester we played a brilliant game for 75 minutes, it's just a little bit of concentration again.

"Today in the second half it was brilliant and there's a lot of positives to be honest, it's just we need to get that win. Like I always say, we'll keep fighting and regardless that we're bottom of the table we are really sure we can compete with any team, literally any team, and I mean it. But yeah, we find ourselves in this position and we just have to keep fighting to see where we end."