A battling performance from Saints that deserved more.
OK it wasnt United's first XI but then again it wasnt Saints either, but bearing in mind the Old Trafford's side's second string is not that shabby and man for man is still better than Saints, we showed the footballing world watching on TV that this side we have has something and we matched the visitors on all counts, possession being fairly even with both sides having six shots on target and Saints just shading the off targets 7 to 5, thats 13 chances against the side that will probably win the league and maybe the FA Cup & Champions league too, we could walk off the pitch our heads held high.
For an hour it looked like Saints just might cause the upset of the round, a superb Chaplow goal just before the break was well deserved and for 20 minutes after the break Saints looked secure, so much so that by the hour mark Sir Alex had felt the need to bring on all three subs including Giggs and Nani and this changed the game.
On 65 minutes Harding was beaten and a great far post cross left Owen with a header that Bialkowski had no chance with, ten minutes later and the comeback was complete and you felt that Saints had had their chance,
With all three strikers on the pitch from the start, Nigel Adkins did the only thing open to him and used the three midfield players on the bench, although personally I would have preferred to see Doble thrown on for the final ten minutes for a real fairytale ending.
But come the final whistle this was possibly the best result for Saints, although a defeat it leaves the way open to now concentrate on the league, but we came though with our pride intact and more, to put up such a show will not only do wonders for confidence but also shows that Southampton Football Club are in the ascent.