After 15 attempts, Nuno Espirito Santo might have wondered if Nottingham Forest were ever going to score, but on 70 minutes Morgan Gibbs-White at last made the breakthrough.
Forest hammered on the door throughout, helped in large part by Southampton’s well-intentioned but ultimately detrimental insistence on playing out the back on their top-flight return to St Mary’s.
Against a more clinical side the Saints would doubtless have been punished more harshly, and though they had chances of their own, it was a well-earned win for the visitors that should really have been by a larger margin than 1-0.
Chris Wood and Neco Williams wasted little time in drawing saves from Alex McCarthy, and Forest should really have gone ahead inside 16 minutes.
Ola Aina broke clear down the left before finding Wood at the back post, but again McCarthy was there to keep out a header that really should have ended up in the back of the net.
Nottingham Forest claimed all three points away from home to newly promoted Saints
Captain Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal and game winner in the 70th minute
Southampton grew into the half with their intricate build-up, but warning signs emerged when Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ mis-cued backpass to McCarthy - who was way off his line - trickled just wide of the post.
The hosts enjoyed plenty of possession, but it was a first half of both poor final balls and too many touches, with Southampton unable to get Adam Armstrong into the game.
Meanwhile, the chances continued to come for Forest. Ibrahim Sangare let fly with a dipping drive from range, before Gibbs-White shanked over from inside the box a moment later.
Nikola Milenkovic then somehow missed from a yard out at the back post, and Williams came close from outside the box, but by half-time it was still level.
Southampton showed signs of fight, enjoying plenty of possession
But failed to get the ball near their danger man Adam Armstrong
There was a marked difference in Southampton’s offensive approach after the break, though.
Flynn Downes dropped deeper to patrol the midfield while Joe Aribo and Will Smallbone pressed with more intensity and Armstrong instantly had more service, but it was playing out the back where the issue lay.
On 70 minutes, Aribo looked to run the ball out of defence but was robbed by Callum Hudson-Odoi, who looped a ball into the box. Gibbs-White leaped highest, but after his header was deflected out the skipper fired home from inside the six-yard box.
Anthony Elanga was unlucky not to make it two after a silky run through the Forest defence, and McCarthy was needed to keep out a curling effort from Hudson-Odoi, as the visitors looked to press their advantage.
Southampton at last got the ball up the pitch quicker, but even with six added minutes it was too little, too late, and Forest held on for three well-deserved points on the road.