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Snodgrass scored Hull's winner in their opening-day victory over champions Leicester

Robert Snodgrass inspired Hull City to victory against Southampton as Mike Phelan earned his first three points since being appointed permanent head coach.

Charlie Austin's sixth-minute penalty appeared to have Saints in control, with Hull offering little in the way of an attacking threat.

The hosts also lost starting strikers Abel Hernandez and Will Keane to first-half injuries to compound the frustration of their fans, but the mood inside the KCOM Stadium was transformed in the space of two second-half minutes.

First, Snodgrass - introduced from the bench for the stricken Keane - swept home his fourth league goal of the season from Sam Clucas' low cross before the Scotland international delivered an inviting free-kick that Michael Dawson headed past Fraser Forster.

Southampton pushed for an equaliser but David Marshall made a string of saves in the Hull goal before Clucas produced a remarkable goalline clearance from a corner in the final minute of added time.

The win - Hull's first in the league since 20 August - ends a six-game losing streak, although they remain inside the bottom three heading into the international break.

Snodgrass delivers on return

Hull 2-1 Southampton: Tigers 'ecstatic' after comeback - Mike Phelan

The best that could be said for the early loss of Hull's strikers was that it gave an opportunity for Snodgrass to return earlier than expected after missing the past two matches with an ankle injury.

But his entrance from the bench following Keane's injury midway through the first half did not appear to be asking too much of the Tigers' top scorer - far from it.

Instantly the hosts appeared to have greater urgency with the 29-year-old on the pitch, having looked sluggish and uninspired for 26 minutes before his introduction.

The mood inside the stadium at kick-off was exactly what could be expected of a club bidding to avoid a seventh straight league defeat for the first time in 36 years.

That run of defeats - during which 20 goals had been shipped - allied to widespread unhappiness among fans over the Allam family's running of the club meant the KCOM Stadium had a threadbare look at kick-off, with an official attendance of just 17,768.

Empty seats dotted a ground that used to be filled to the rafters in the second and third tiers, and the dark mood of many home fans in attendance cannot have been lost on the players.

Yet Snodgrass' tireless running lifted not only the fans but his team-mates, and his well-taken 61st-minute goal followed moments later by a perfect assist for Dawson was just reward for his endeavour.

Wasteful Saints pay the price

It ended up being a busy afternoon for Hull goalkeeper David Marshall as Southampton pushed for an equaliser late in the game. After conceding from Charlie Austin's penalty (yellow square), Marshall responded with a string of saves (highlighted with red circles). The visitors also hit the bar (blue circle) and finished the match with 19 shots on goal, seven of those on target.

Southampton celebrated one of the most famous wins in their history by beating Inter Milan in the Europa League on Thursday, and a Hull side low on confidence did not look like dampening their mood in the opening exchanges.

Austin's early penalty - an easy decision for referee Graham Scott after Curtis Davies' clumsy challenge on Maya Yoshida - had the visitors in cruise control, with Hull allowing them time and space to pass the ball around, albeit with little cutting edge.

Virgil van Dijk's looping header off the bar early in the second half was as close as they came to doubling their lead, and that apparent lack of urgency came back to bite them when Hull struck their quick-fire double just after the hour mark.

That was the spark for Claude Puel's men to push forward with greater urgency, but in former Cardiff goalkeeper Marshall they found someone in determined mood after a miserable start to life between the sticks in East Yorkshire.

The Scotland international - whose elevation to number one ahead of Eldin Jakupovic coincided with Hull's slump in form - twice saved well from Austin as time ticked down, and also kept out a Yoshida effort.

Dawson then came to the rescue to heroically block from Austin, before Clucas produced a stunning goalline clearance deep in added time, the winger hacking the ball off the line, against Jay Rodriguez and somehow over the bar.

Man of the match - Robert Snodgrass

Michael Dawson delivered at both ends, David Marshall showed his class in goal, but really there was only one man in the running for this accolade. Snodgrass' introduction completely turned the tide. He took his goal well, provided a superb assist and ran tirelessly from box to box. If Hull are to stay up this season you sense his form and fitness will be key.

Manager reaction

Hull City boss Mike Phelan, speaking to Match of the Day: "I'm really pleased for my players. We lost two players early in the game to what look like long injuries. The players are ecstatic. I thought we caused our own problems in the first half giving the penalty away and not getting the ball quick enough.

"The players were a credit. Our keeper David Marshall has had a hard time of late but he was magnificent. Robert Snodgrass had the most unbelievable swollen ankle at one point which disappeared overnight. He showed great character.

"Now that we have got three or four injuries, the international break has come at a good time for us. We will enjoy the next few days and start again."

Hull 2-1 Southampton: Puel 'not frustrated' by defeat

Southampton manager Claude Puel, speaking to Match of the Day: "We lacked concentration. We lost the rhythm of the game. It is important for the future that we learn from this situation.

"After a European game it is difficult to keep the same concentration. It is a good lesson for the future.

"We know all the teams are difficult to play and to play every three days is difficult. We have to learn this and keep the same concentration every game."

The stats you need to know

Just 125 seconds separated Hull's two goals.

Robert Snodgrass has now been directly involved in 50% of Hull's 10 goals in the Premier League this season (four goals, one assist).

No English player at a Premier League club has scored more goals in all competitions this season than Charlie Austin (8, level with Theo Walcott).

The last time the Tigers came back to win in the Premier League was in December 2014 v Sunderland.

Saints' defeat to Hull ended a run of six successive wins against the Tigers.

Southampton have won just one of their last six away games in the Premier League (D2 L3).

What's next?

Following the international break, Hull return to action with a trip to bottom side Sunderland on Saturday, 19 November (15:00 GMT), while on the same day Southampton play host to leaders Liverpool, also at 15:00.