 The 1981–82 season was another successful campaign for the Saints, who by December 1981 were looking like serious title contenders and finally went top of the table on 30 January 1982 with a 1–0 away win over struggling Middlesbrough.Despite finding itself on the receiving end of a 5–2 demolition at Ipswich Town less than three weeks later (in which Alan Brazil scored all five of the Suffolk club's goals), the Saints hung onto its lead of the league before they were finally leapfrogged by Swansea City on 20 March after nearly two months at the top.They briefly regained their lead of the league a week later with a 4–3 home win over Stoke City , but their form during the final few weeks of the season took something of a nosedive and they had to settle for a seventh-place finish – not even enough for UEFA Cup qualification – as the title went to Liverpool.