TEENAGE KICKS Will & Jake win it for Saints
RALPH HASENHUTTL claimed Southampton’s future is in safe hands after two graduates from the club’s academy kept alive the Austrian’s dreams of winning the FA Cup.
Teenager Will Smallbone scored a superb debut goal before fellow 19-year-old Jake Vokins sealed Saints’ place in the fourth round with a stunning strike.
Saints boss Hasenhuttl said: “We changed the whole squad but the young lads did well, scored both goals and I’m happy for them.
“Will and Jake are players who are always part of our team and should be the future of the club.”
Hasenhuttl made 10 changes to the side which beat Tottenham on New Year’s Day but Saints still had too much quality for their Championship visitors.
Shane Long thought he had ended his nine-month goal drought to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time only for VAR to rule the Irishman was marginally offside.
The hosts also had a strong claim for a first-half penalty turned down when Sofiane Boufal appeared to be sent tumbling by Jonathan Hogg.
Saints didn’t have to wait long after the restart to break the deadlock as Smallbone crashed in a brilliant left-foot volley after Long had stretched to nod down Kevin Danso’s deep cross at the far post.
It took until three minutes from time for Hasenhuttl’s men to secure the victory, but Vokins’ strike was well worth the wait.
Che Adams rolled the ball into the feet of the rampaging left-back and Vokins let fly from the edge of the penalty area with a power-packed strike that crashed in off the underside of the bar.
It was a fitting way to crown Hasenhuttl’s maiden FA Cup win and the Austrian wants to go all the way to Wembley.
He said: “We are happy we are in the next round.
“Every win is important, especially for the players who do not play that often.
“Let’s hope for a good draw. Everybody who starts in this competition dreams of being in a final and maybe winning something.”
Huddersfield’s last game as a Premier League club was a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s on the final day of last season, but on this evidence they will not be returning to the top flight any time soon.
Christopher Schindler’s wayward close-range shot was the nearest they came to scoring.
Manager Danny Cowley, who made his name in the FA Cup with Lincoln, said: “We love the FA Cup. It has the ability to change people’s lives. I was proud of the way the players acquitted themselves.”
S’THAMPTON HUDDERSFIELD 3 ........ Shots on Target .......... 1 3 ........ Shots off Target ......... 3 1 ........... Blocked Shots .......... 0 5 ................ Corners .................. 1 15 ................. Fouls .................... 9 1 ................ Offsides ................. 3 64 ........ Possession % ........ 36 69 ...... 1st Half Poss % . ....... 31 64 ..... 2nd Half Poss % . ..... 36