With the yellow-and-blue retro shirts, defensive heroics to withstand strain and the person with quantity 11 on his again scoring the one purpose, Southampton got here to London and harnessed the spirit of 1976.
Not Bobby Stokes in opposition to Manchester United for Lawrie McMenemy’s second-tier group at Wembley this time, however Ross Stewart with a late penalty to topple Premier League Fulham.
That was sufficient to e book Tonda Eckert’s Championship facet into the FA Cup quarter finals, 50 years on, and Saints basked within the celebrations in entrance of their 5,000-strong following within the Putney Finish.
Marco Silva’s group have been booed off by indignant followers although. Fortunes oscillated wildly by way of three video games in eight days at Craven Cottage. First victory over Tottenham, then defeat in opposition to West Ham however this was an actual disappointment for Fulham.
With their topflight standing secure and a well-balanced group with no scarcity of inventive aptitude at Silva’s disposal, there was a real probability to take a severe tilt at touchdown their first main trophy, as Crystal Palace did final season.
Silva tried to barter Saints with out a few of his senior stars, nonetheless, and was made to pay as Eckert’s group produced a superb rearguard show and a winner from a 91st minute penalty, awarded for a visit by Joachim Andersen on Finn Azaz.
Ross Stewart was the hero of the hour when he struck from the spot deep in added time
For Fulham, letting the chance of claiming silverware slip away will sting for gamers and their followers
Fulham dominated for lengthy spells with out actually testing goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. Southampton have been squeezed again in the direction of their very own purpose, however the stood agency.
They have been properly organised and sprang with menace on the counterattack. All of which made for a carefully balanced contest if not an exciting spectacle.
Leo Scienza ought to have scored for Saints halfway by way of the primary half when he burst clear, dashed away from Ryan Sessegnon on midway and had solely Benjamin Lecomte to beat. With on a regular basis on this planet, Scienza rolled a side-footer previous ‘keeper Lecomte and extensive.
One other glimpse of purpose got here Scienza’s approach earlier than half time. Not as straightforward, though unmarked on the volley past the again submit, this time the Brazilian winger sliced it out for a throw on the alternative facet of the pitch.
Earlier than all this, Rodrigo Muniz had the ball within the internet when Saints made a mistake of their haste to punish Fulham on the turnover of possession.
Trying to fireside a fast purpose kick in the direction of pacy Scienza, goalkeeper Peretz smashed it into the again of defender Ryan Manning. Muniz reacted quickest to show the rebound into an unguarded internet from the sting of the penalty field.
However referee Jarred Gillett had blown his whistle and later informed the managers it was as a result of the ball was rolling when the purpose kick was taken.
‘For me it is a purpose,’ mentioned Silva. ‘You count on it might make a distinction however I do not need to go in that path and look to search out excuses. I favor to search for the true image.
‘Very dangerous day for us. Myself, the gamers, the membership, primarily the followers. We weren’t adequate, easy as that. We did not create sufficient round their field. We weren’t on the requirements we wanted to be and it’s a second to look deeper. It’s not simply one other defeat. We misplaced an enormous probability to be within the subsequent spherical.’
Early within the second half, one other Fulham purpose was dominated out. Timothy Castagne bundled the rebound on this time after Peretz had parried a header by Andersen, who was offside when Harrison Reed angled a free kick his approach.
Rodrigo Muniz noticed his would-be purpose dominated out beneath complicated circumstances on Saturday
The Scottish star was nerveless from the spot as he channelled the spirit of Southampton’s 1976 FA Cup winners
Head coach Marco Silva and his gamers have been booed off by followers at a cagey Craven Cottage
Saints although have been persistently harmful, creating and losing extra clear probabilities on the break. Lecomte blocked together with his left boot from Tom Fellows, then made a wonderful save together with his fingertips, twisting in midair to succeed in a Azaz shot despatched looping over the keeper by a deflection off Jorge Cuenca. Each assaults triggered by tackles received on Bobb in midfield.
On the different finish, Muniz flashed efforts over and extensive. Castagne shot extensive. Taylor Harwood-Bellis threw his physique in entrance of a shot by Sessegnon and nothing summed up the Saints mentality fairly like Peretz saving together with his face from the identical participant.
Then got here the decisive second, Saints on the transfer ahead with a Stewart cross into Azaz, who was clipped by Andersen as he twisted onto his left foot contained in the penalty field.
Contact was minimal however sufficient for Gillett to level to the spot and for VAR to maintain out.
Up stepped Stewart for this third purpose in 4 appearances and Eckert’s Saints go marching on.
