Leicester City slipped into the Championship's bottom three with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of fellow strugglers Southampton at St Mary's on Tuesday evening.
Stern John's 76th minute effort proved to be the only goal of what was a tentative game between two sides battling it out for survival.
The Foxes started brightly with Steve Howard coming close on two occasions inside the first 13 minutes as the visitors set the early pace.
Substitute Matty Fryatt also tested Saints keeper Michael Poke before missing a golden opportunity in stoppage time to draw his side level after John had put the home side in the driving seat.
But despite their best efforts, there was no way back for the Foxes who slipped to another agonising and disappointing defeat.
City were the first to show on three minutes when Kelvin Etuhu burst down the right flank but his cross failed to trouble Poke in the Saints goal and the ball drifted behind for a goal-kick.
Lee Hendrie then tried his luck from 30-yards in the fifth minute but his shot flew the wrong side of the left hand upright.
The Saints were handed an almighty let-off on seven minutes when Steve Howard somehow put his shot wide from close range after DJ Campbell had pulled the ball back from the right-hand by-line.
Howard was again in the thick of the action in the 13th minute but after muscling his way past two defenders, he failed to direct Iain Hume's deep cross goalwards.
At the other end, Bruno N'Gotty blocked John's attempted shot on 17 minutes with the ball flying out for a corner.
Andrew Surman's shot on 25minutes sailed harmlessly over the bar as the home side upped the tempo in search of an opener.
A last gasp block from Gareth McAuley thwarted John in the 36th minute after Surman had out-foxed Joe Mattock down the right hand side.
Howard's touch just eluded him inside the area two minutes later as he picked up Mattock's cross before the Foxes applied the pressure as half-time approached with two successive corners.
Paul Henderson saved comfortably from Surman in stoppage time and the game remained goalless at the interval.
Two minutes into the re-start, Etuhu did brilliantly down the right flank but his low cross was hacked clear by Wayne Thomas.
An under-hit header from Matt Oakley almost played in John on 49 minutes but Henderson dashed off his line to turn his shot behind for a corner, which resulted in Thomas heading high over the bar.
Poke just managed to gather the ball in the nick of time from Alexander Ostlund's back-header with Hume in close attendance.
Campbell was crowded out inside the area on 53 minutes as he looked to tee up a shot
The Saints made a double change in the 58th minute with Surman and David McGoldrick making way for Adam Hammill and Marek Saganowski respectively.
The Foxes also made a change on 61 minutes with Matty Fryatt replacing Campbell.
McAuley was again in the way to deny John on 70 minutes before Howard was cautioned for a foul a minute later.
Barry Hayles replaced Hume in the 73rd minute and he was immediately in the action when his low, teasing cross was smothered by Poke.
Poke saved from a Fryatt header on 75 minutes after some more good work by Etuhu.
However it was the home side who broke the deadlock a minute later.
After a defensive slip up, the ball presented itself inside the area to an unmarked John who had the simple task of volleying it home from close range past a helpless Henderson for the opener.
At the other end, Oakley's free-kick was blocked by the Southampton wall
Ostlund was booked for time-wasting on 82 minutes then Mattock followed suit two minutes later.
Gregory Vignal saw yellow for kicking the ball away soon after before Fryatt missed a glorious chance to draw the visitors level in injury time when he side-footed agonisingly wide when clean through much to his team-mates dismay.
Simon Gillett replaced goalscorer John in time added on but the damage had already been done and it was the hosts who went home happy.
City: Henderson, Stearman, McAuley, N'Gotty, Mattock, Etuhu, Oakley ©, Hendrie, Hume (Hayles 73), Campbell (Fryatt 61), Howard. Subs not used: Kisnorbo, King, Chambers J
Saints: Poke, Ostlund, Thomas, Viafara, Vignal, Licka, Safri ©, Euell, Surman (Saganowski 58), McGoldrick (Hammill 58), John (Gillett 90). Subs not used: Pernecky, Baseya.
Yellow Cards
City: Howard (71), Mattock (84)
Saints: Ostlund (82), Vignal (86)
Referee: Danny McDermid (Middlesex)
Attendance: 17,741
