TEAM player Che Adams insists Saints’ “whole confidence is growing” after continuing his impressive post-lockdown form.

The frontman notched his second goal in as many games for the St Mary’s side as they toppled Premier League leaders Everton 2-0 on Sunday.

After James Ward-Prowse struck the opener for the hosts against the Toffees, Adams added his name to the scoresheet after meeting Danny Ings’s cross to slot home at the back post.

The victory meant Saints are unbeaten in their past four league games, with 10 points from a possible 12.

Adams told the Daily Echo: “We dug in deep towards the end. We took confidence as the game went on and I think it was a massive three points for us.

“It just shows how much confidence we have in each other and how much belief we have in the squad.

“It was hard to break us down in the end and we nullified their chances.

“It was obviously a nice feeling to get on the scoresheet but it’s a team performance at the end of the day and I thought we defended well to keep the lead.”

After assisting Ings with a neat through ball at Chelsea a week previously, Adams’s strike from Ings’s cross against the Toffees saw Saints’ strike partnership reverse their roles.

Asked what it was like to play alongside England star Ings, who provided both assists against the Blues, Adams said: “He helps the squad massively. You can see how much he runs and how hard he works for the team.

“He looked up and just seen me arriving.

“That’s something we look to do, just look for each other, provide assists and provide goals for the team.

“It’s a shame he didn’t get his goal on Sunday but I think next time he will.

“As a team, our whole confidence is growing now and we can only get better.

“I think we are building massively as a team and you can see that in the way we play and the way we defend, we are all together as one.”

Adams took 30 games to get off the mark for Saints when he signed from Birmingham for a reported £15million in July 2019.

He now has six goals in 13 games in all competitions.

Speaking about Adams after the victory over Everton, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “What I like is that he has been in some tough terms here but he never stopped working hard. He never stopped believing in what he’s doing.

“Sometimes it takes a little bit longer until you make the step through and adapt to the higher level.

“It’s normal and we have given him all the time he needs to develop and always had the chance to play, to show up.

“Now he can continue to go and score.”