Battling Derby draw on Lampard exploits to earn a second chance
Frank Lampard lifted the FA Cup four times as a player, and hopes of an extended run in this competition as a manager remain alive after a spirited comeback yesterday.
His Derby side fought back from two goals down to force a replay neither manager wanted as Southampton, last season’s semi-finalists, endured a frustrating afternoon against Championship opposition.
They have already embarrassed Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United in a cup competition this season and almost added Ralph Hasenhuttl to their list of scalps after a typically frenetic tie.
Two goals from Nathan Redmond had put Southampton in cruise control until Derby scored twice in three minutes to maintain hopes of a claiming a Premier League victim.
Hasenhuttl’s side remain in the bottom three in the league and could have been on the end of his first FA Cup upset, only for Jack Marriott to waste a golden chance in added time. With only goalkeeper Angus Gunn to beat, he lifted his shot over the bar in the 95th minute to ensure a rematch later this month.
Reflecting on Marriott’s miss, Lampard said: “I think that was tiredness and tension in the legs. I’ve been there myself, and it’s unfortunate.
“He’s scored goals for us before – like the winner against Norwich last weekend – and he will score goals for us again, but the mentality of the comeback pleased me because I was frustrated in the first half.
“When we are at it, we are a match for anyone.”
It had all looked very promising for Hasenhuttl after 50 minutes, with Southampton attacking with pace and Redmond in one of those moods where he can dominate opponents.
They had already threatened the Derby goal before taking a fourthminute lead.
Redmond was given far too much space outside the penalty area and his shot was arrowing towards the bottom corner before Derby defender Richard Keogh inadvertently diverted the ball into his own goal.
The game appeared beyond Derby’s reach in the 48th minute when Redmond added the second goal, bending a wonderful shot into the top corner from 22 yards with goalkeeper Kelle Roos rooted to his goalline.
Game over? Not so. The comeback was on in the 58th minute after a brilliantly crafted goal in which Marriott volleyed Tom Lawrence’s clever flick into the corner.
Lawrence then delivered a fine equaliser, taking the ball from near the halfway line before driving a shot past Gunn from 20 yards.
Southampton had chances to avoid a replay, with Mohamed Elyounoussi heading straight at Roos from an unmarked position, before James WardProwse sliced his shot over the bar.
However, Marriott squandered the chance to hog the headlines in added time, missing the target from inside the area after he was sent clear by substitute David Nugent.
Hasenhuttl said: “It was a typical cup-tie because the opponent never gives up fighting. In the end, we’ve seen two teams trying to win, so we have to do it again.
“We felt too comfortable after 2-0, but it was a very good performance to that point. For a long time, we didn’t give many chances away and we were too sure we would win the game.
“It’s a pity we didn’t win, because now we have one more game.
“We didn’t want this game, and we had a good chance to go through and gave it away.”