CAPTAIN Jack Stephens insisted the performance at Leicester was “nowhere near good enough”, and admitted: “We let this club down.”

Saints were battered 5-0 by the league leaders without registering a shot on target. Skipper Stephen was subbed on after the fifth goal.

Manager Russell Martin took responsibility for not starting the defender and claimed: “If Jack is playing tonight, we don’t lose 5-0.”

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Stephens emotionally explained his side’s shortcomings.“It's just not good enough,

"It's really not good enough. The way we finished that game is totally unacceptable. That's on us as a group of players.

"At 2-0, the game is not done. We've seen time and time again, in this league especially, that at 2-0 the game is never over.

"We finished that game and almost threw the towel in. We gave up. It's quite a harsh thing to say but I can't think of any other way to describe it.

“The way it went was totally unacceptable for this football club. We need to look at ourselves and ask if we actually want to do what we want to do."

After the final whistle, Stephens ordered his teammates across the field to applaud the embarrassed Saints fans.

Many of the away supporters had already left the stadium at full-time and Stephens accepted this graciously.

"I think when people look at that and say we gave up, they'd be right,” he continued.

“That's the worst thing anyone can say about a football player or a group of players. Going over to the fans is the only option.

"They shouldn't even still be there at the end, but the fact that they are says a lot about them as fans.

"They've sold out the away allocation at Leicester on a Tuesday evening when we have a slim chance at automatic promotion - we've let them down massively.

"It's embarrassing for us but it's also embarrassing for them. They've travelled all this way to watch this. That's not how their team should be playing.”

Saints are back in action again on Saturday when they host Stoke City in their final home game of the regular season.

They will be desperate to put things right against a team who are struggling towards the foot of the Championship table.

Stephens concluded: "I think it's such an easy thing to bounce back from, there's only one option. 

“The only option is to go out there and give everything for this football club. We have to show that we care and want to get promoted.

"At the moment, we're not showing that. You could see that Leicester wanted it more and that's the big difference at the moment.

“That hurts me. That hurts this football club and it can't happen - that can't carry on any longer. It has to stop right now."