CARLING CUP FIRST ROUND
Tuesday August 11th, 7.45pm
St Mary's

SOUTHAMPTON 2
Rickie Lambert 29, Adam Lallana 68

Attendance: 10,921 (616 Cobblers fans)

Southampton: Kelvin Davis, Graeme Murty (sub Jake Thomson 77), Wayne Thomas, Olly Lancashire, Dan Harding, Lloyd James, Paul Wotton, Morgan Schneiderlin, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert (sub Oscar Gobern 86), Matt Paterson (sub Grzegorz Rasiak 67). Subs not used: Bartosz Bialkowski, Chris Perry, Simon Gillett, Lee Holmes.

Cobblers: Chris Dunn, Craig Hinton, Chris McCready, Dean Beckwith, Andy Holt, Romone Rose (sub Adebayo Akinfenwa 56), Ryan Gilligan (sub Alex Dyer 63), Abdul Osman, Ben Marshall, Steve Guinan, Billy McKay (sub John Curtis 56). Subs not used: Paul Walker, Paul Rodgers, Joe Benjamin, Michael Jacobs.

Referee: Mr S Hooper

Booked:
Southampton: none
Cobblers: none

5 cautions on or before 28 February; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Southampton: none
Cobblers: none

Sending offs: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.

Stuart Gray made two changes to the side that had drawn with Macclesfield Town for this Carling Cup first round match at Southampton. Romone Rose and Steve Guinan came into the side in place of Alex Dyer and Adebayo Akinfenwa.

The Cobblers were making their first ever visit to St Mary's, but it was the home side who had the first effort, new £1 million signing Rickie Lambert curling a free kick wide. For the Cobblers, Ben Marshall capitalised on a 4th minute defensive error to make his way into the area but was denied by Saints keeper Kelvin Davis at the near post.

Chris Dunn got behind another long range free kick from Lambert, this time in the 10th minute, while at the other end Marshall curled in a dangerous 25 yard set piece that bounced awkwardly in front of Davis but the keeper held on.

Steve Guinan sent a dipping volley over the bar as he chested down an Andy Holt flick on 19 minutes, before Holt himself headed wide from a Romone Rose corner.

The home side had the lead on 29 minutes. Lloyd James supplied a cross from the right wing that was bundled home from close range by Rickie Lambert.

Boosted by the goal, the Saints came forward again and Chris Dunn had to be alert to tip away a low drive from Adam Lallana on 33 minutes. The Cobblers were still posing a threat though, and Steve Guinan - at full stretch - got his toe to the ball and sent a Romone Rose cross just over.

Osman headed another delivery from Rose, this time a right wing corner, over the bar five minutes before the break as the Cobblers trailed by a single goal at the interval.

A 54th minute corner caused problems for the Cobblers defence, and twice they made last ditch blocks to deny Wayne Thomas. On the first occasion Andy Holt slid in, while Dean Beckwith was in the right place to deny the Saints number 3's second attempt.

Stuart Gray made a double change on 56 minutes with Billy McKay and Romone Rose being replaced by John Curtis and Adebayo Akinfenwa.

The two substitutes combined to create a shooting chance for Steve Guinan on 59 minutes, Curtis playing the ball into Akinfenwa who laid it off to his strike partner but his effort was deflected over.

Alex Dyer was introduced for Ryan Gilligan just after the hour mark, before Ben Marshall curled a shot over the bar as Stuart Gray's side continued to press. Akinfenwa then fired over the bar after pouncing on a defensive mistake.

Grzegorz Rasiak came on for Southampton in place of Martin Paterson, and moments later the home side's lead was extended when Adam Lallana turned home a knock back from inside the six yard box.

Dunn saved well from Rasiak on 73 minutes after the Saints striker had embarked on a mazy run, while Jake Thomson replaced Graeme Murty in Southampton's second change.

Akinfenwa flashed a header wide from a Curtis free kick on 84 minutes, before the Saints final change was Oscar Gobern for debutant Lambert.

That was the end of the action, and it was Alan Pardew's side who went into the hat for the next round.

SOUTHAMPTON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 7
CORNERS: (3) 7
FOULS: (8) 16
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 3

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 8
CORNERS: (3) 4
FOULS: (7) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2

The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.

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