SOUTHAMPTON goalkeeper Alex McCarthy was pleased by the spirit his side displayed at Burnley - and to finally get the rub of the green.

Ashley Barnes' close-range header looked set to the secure Sean Dyche's Clarets a narrow win only for relegation-threatened Saints to level late on.

Referee Bobby Madley's unintended intervention kicked off the 90th-minute break from which substitute Manolo Gabbiadini scored, leading to anger from the Turf Moor faithful.

But for Southampton goalkeeper McCarthy this was just rewards for a spirited display and high time they got some luck, having last month been stung by Abdoulaye Doucoure's handled equaliser at Watford.

"Obviously coming away to Burnley we knew it was going to be a tough game, but to get the point in the end is massive," the Saints keeper said.

"We haven't had a lot of luck this season but getting that bit of luck has obviously resulted in a goal for us.

"It wasn't going to be a pretty game, but the boys stuck together and we got the point in the end.

"We've got great character in this group and a great squad with great players.

"The boys still think we could've done better out there - we know we can - but there are a lot of positives we can take into Stoke next week."

While Saints look to build on Saturday's draw, Burnley are hoping to recover from the late gut punch when they welcome Everton.

Nick Pope's exquisite save from substitute Josh Sims looked to have propelled the Clarets to victory, but the goalkeeper is not getting het up about the way things panned out.

"It's a gutting way to draw any football match, at the end of the game like that, especially the way it came about," Pope told Clarets Player HD after their 12th straight winless match in all competitions.

"But that's part of football. We've got to pick ourselves up. We put in a good performance and take that into our next game. We'll come in on Monday and go again.

"We all know he hasn't meant to block him off. And for that to happen is probably the referee's worst nightmare to be honest.

"It's something we've got to deal with and take the performance into next week.

"I think we played well today and we don't want that to get lost in the controversy at the end."