Saints continued their march up the Championship table to fifth, as they came from behind to beat fellow play-off hopefuls Derby 2-1 at St Mary’s.
Second-half goals from Leo Scienza and Taylor Harwood-Bellis cancelled out Carlton Morris’ earlier strike to extend the unbeaten run to 17 games.
It followed a 5-1 win over fellow play-off rivals Wrexham on Tuesday, and a 2-1 victory against Premier League leaders Arsenal in the FA Cup last week.
After the match, Eckert said: “Oh, massive. It was the best performance of the week, I think the boys have been absolutely outstanding today.
Can go up to fourth in the table, just one point off third, with a win against Blackburn on Tuesday. Great result today.#SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/PYzUkmUqqj
— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) April 11, 2026
“It is the consistency, it’s hard if you’re clearly on top in the first half, and then we didn’t really finish our attacks to put it in the back of the net.
“We had one loose ball and had to defend one corner, go down 1-0, and you don’t really know why, it’s just that’s the way football games go sometimes.
“But then to have that belief, just that deep belief to keep going and being sure that the game then falls onto you, I think the boys were excellent.
“There are so many different ways, and that’s why sometimes, before a game, you don’t know how the game unfolds, and every game has its own story.
“They are so different at times, I think there’s a good chance that with the way we set up in the first half, the game just goes clearly in our direction.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t, and then find a way to get back into the game, I think, was very good.”
Eckert sent his players out early from the half-time interval with his side trailing 1-0, although he did not make any substitutions.
“There was not too much to say; it was the same thing against Leicester. Sometimes, you just need to show that you’re ready,” Eckert explained.
The result leaves Saints six points off second-place Ipswich, but the Tractor Boys have a game in hand. The two teams are also set to face each other.
Asked if automatic promotion is still possible, Eckert responded: “I think that’s more a question for supporters and media.
“I know that this is coming up, but for me, no matter what I answer, it doesn’t make a difference. We need to keep our heads down and to keep working.
“It’s a big one coming up on Tuesday, and then we’ll see where we stand at the beginning of May. I don’t know how much it helps to look too much ahead.
“It’s a distraction if you look too much at where you’re going to be. It’s only two days before we play the next game, and you need to back it up again.
“We make sure that we recover properly tomorrow, the boys have a day off. I’ll make sure that I prepare well for Blackburn and then we go again.”