Amid the current gloom and the difficult task of facing up to Saints' sealed fate this season, a reminder of brighter days is almost certainly in order. 

Here at the Echo, we're casting our minds back 13 years to a sun-drenched afternoon of pure joy – the day Saints clinched promotion back to the Premier League in unforgettable style.

It was the final day of the Championship season on April 28, 2012 and was also the day the Saints spectacularly sealed their return to the Premier League promised land after a tumultuous seven-year exile. 

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The air crackled with anticipation, a potent mix of hope and nervous energy swirling around the packed stands, as Saints knew only victory against a relegated, but potentially tricky, Coventry City side would guarantee their ascent.

The journey back had been arduous. 

Relegation from the top flight in 2005 had been followed by the dark days of administration, the very real threat to the club's existence, and the humbling drop into League One. 

Yet, under the vision and crucial investment of the late, great owner Markus Liebherr, guided astutely by chairman Nicola Cortese, and marshalled brilliantly on the pitch by manager Nigel Adkins, Saints had engineered a remarkable revival. 

They stood on the precipice of back-to-back promotions, a feat few could have imagined just a couple of years prior.

Despite the seemingly straightforward task against the Sky Blues, the weight of expectation hung heavy.

West Ham, their relentless promotion rivals, had applied maximum pressure by winning their final game against Hull City just days before, closing the gap to a mere two points. 

There was no room for error; the Saints had to hold their nerve.

The opening minutes reflected this tension. Coventry, with nothing to lose, started brightly, forcing an early, vital save from the ever-reliable Kelvin Davis, who had to be alert to deny Gary McSheffrey. 

The home crowd shuffled nervously, collective breaths held tight.

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But then, on 16 minutes, the breakthrough. The moment the stadium craved arrived, orchestrated by the man who had been instrumental all season, the supremely talented Adam Lallana. 

Unleashing a crisp volley from just inside the 18-yard box, his effort might have been goal-bound, but the predatory instincts of January signing Billy Sharp took over. Reacting instinctively near the penalty spot, Sharp cleverly diverted the ball past Coventry keeper Joe Murphy, sending a wave of delirious relief washing over the sea of red and white.

Before the celebrations had even truly passed, St Mary's erupted once more. 

Just three minutes later, from a set-piece, Portuguese rock José Fonte launched himself forward, meeting the ball with a powerful, diving header – incredibly, his first goal of the entire campaign! 

At 2-0 before the 20-minute mark, the nervous tension evaporated, replaced by a growing, joyous certainty. Promotion wasn't just possible - it felt inevitable.

The rest of the first half saw Saints control proceedings, the early anxiety replaced by confident, flowing football. 

The second half continued in much the same vein.                                                                    

While chances came and went – a Guly do Prado header here, a fierce Rickie Lambert drive there – the party atmosphere was building inexorably.

Just after the hour mark, the third goal arrived, putting the result entirely beyond doubt. 

Dutch defender Jos Hooiveld, a commanding presence all season and chipping in with crucial goals, found himself in the right place at the right time following a corner, drilling the ball home emphatically from close range for his eighth goal of the campaign.

The cherry on the cake belonged, fittingly, to the local hero, Adam Lallana. Capping a magnificent individual performance and a stellar season, he ghosted in at the back post to neatly side-foot home a knock-down from the talismanic Rickie Lambert. 

It was Lallana's 13th goal of the season, highlighting the contribution from midfield, complementing Lambert's phenomenal 31-goal haul. 

The partnership between Lambert and the recently acquired Sharp, who now boasted a combined 50 goals that season between their contributions for Saints and previous clubs, looked full of promise for the challenges ahead.

Lallana's tap-in was the definitive cue. The St Mary's party truly got underway. 

The final 25 minutes were a joyous procession, every pass cheered, every tackle lauded. The roar that greeted the final whistle wasn't just about winning a match; it was the cathartic release of seven years of frustration, uncertainty, and longing.

Nigel Adkins's side had navigated the pressures of leading from the front, maintaining their top-two position almost all season despite the relentless pursuit by West Ham. Their victory rendered the Hammers' efforts irrelevant.

Seven long years after dropping out of English football's elite, through administration, through League One, Saints, powered by belief, investment, astute management, and the goals of Lambert, Sharp, Lallana, and Hooiveld on that final, glorious day, were back where they belonged. 

The Saints had come marching home.