Steven Davis: 'Southampton's good display in EFL Cup final is no consolation'

Southampton midfielder Steven Davis has said that his side's performance in the EFL Cup final is "no consolation" after they lost out to Manchester United.

Claude Puel's side dominated for long periods at Wembley Stadium, but they were on the receiving end of two controversial decisions from the officials as they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat.

The Saints have been praised for their display, but Davis has indicated that he and his teammates are currently struggling to see the positives after Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck the winning goal three minutes from time.

The 32-year-old is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying: "It's no consolation at the minute to be honest but if we play like that between now and the end of the season we'll certainly win more games. Everyone's feeling down.

"We can feel proud of the spirit and character we've shown, especially after going 2-0 down. When we got ourselves back in the game, we thought we might go on and win in it. We showed great character to get back in the game, but luck wasn't on our side today - the disallowed goal that would have put us in front and then the second half we hit the post and David De Gea had a couple of good saves.

"Some decision you get and some you don't, but in a major final you want those decisions to go for you, especially when you're playing against a team like Manchester United."

Defeat for Southampton also meant that they missed out on a place in next season's Europa League, meaning that they will now have to finish in seventh place in the Premier League to achieve a spot in the competition.