Nathan Redmond’s first top-flight double in two years drove Southampton to the brink of Premier League safety with a 3-1 win over Wolves.
The 25-year-old’s brace sent Saints eight points clear of relegation favourites Cardiff, with Shane Long adding a third for the impressive hosts.
Willy Boly’s header had Wolves level at 1-1 but only for 118 seconds, as Redmond notched his second to stun the nonplussed Molineux men.
The demanding St Mary’s boss recently admitted he had warned Redmond to adjust his attitude when he arrived as boss on the south coast in December.
The lively forward’s first league double since Saints’ 4-3 win at Watford in March 2017 has cemented a return to top form.
Redmond’s reversal of fortunes has mirrored that of Saints, who have built steadily under the taskmaster Austrian coach Hasenhuttl.
Saints had claimed just three wins in 22 Premier League games when Mark Hughes was dismissed in December – but now Hasenhuttl has presided over eight victories in just 18 league outings.
The former RB Leipzig boss pledged to “leave my footprints in the snow” on his arrival, and with his St Mary’s transformation he has already stamped his authority on the Premier League.
The 22-year-old could not even break into Reading’s team and was sent back from his loan spell in January. But Hasenhuttl has worked on Sims’ tactical acumen and his aggression – and on his first league start of the season, the homegrown talent delivered in spades.
Southampton’s breakneck start yielded immediate dividend.
Boly made no mistake from Joao Moutinho’s corner though, dispatching a thumping header to drag the visitors level.
Hasenhuttl’s Saints might still be porous but always boast a puncher’s chance, and Sims’ one-two combination with Ings helped floor Wolves again.
Hasenhuttl’s proved his sharp management again when withdrawing both Ings and Sims early in the second-half.
Oriol Romeu’s arrival allowed James Ward-Prowse to push higher up the field however, adding extra stability, and Long’s pace pushed Wolves deeper.
Long then notched his second goal in as many games to kill the tie, flicking home from Maya Yoshida’s cute pass.
