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We’re into the semi’s
Big thanks to the Saints fans who braved the cold to support us!
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Wigan 0-2 Southampton: Hojbjerg and Cedric seal FA Cup semi spot
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It says everything about the modern managerial mayhem that Mark Hughes could preside over one Premier League side’s exit to lowly opposition and yet find himself presiding over an FA Cup quarter final with another, in the same season.
Exiting to fourth tier and third tier sides would have been unprecedented in the circumstances and Hughes was the most relieved man in the stadium after being run even closer than his Stoke side were at Coventry in January. Class told in the end – though only because Wigan switched off for one fateful minute.
There was full northern hospitality for the visiting side: bitter cold, swirling wind, a bumpy, letter-strewn pitch and two early ‘welcome to Wigan’ challenges for Guido Carrillo and Dusan Tadic when the Hughes managerial era at Saints got under way.
Hughes braved the arctic weather full-on – neither gloves nor hat for him, while Wigan manager Paul Cook went for both – but there was no disguising what a treacherous quarter final assignment this was for the Premier League side 29 places higher in the football pyramid.
Wigan are not a prolific goal-scoring side but they defend for their lives and they can mix their game up, too – playing out from the back when the moment presents. Though their creative lynchpin Nick Powell was missing, full back Nathan Byrne was an unexpected creative nexus as they refused Southampton the chance to gain a foothold in the game. The tally of ten corners and eight shots in the first half told its own story and the half-time break couldn’t come soon enough for the visiting side.
Cook’s side were inches from a lead on 16 minutes, when a deflected shot was millimetres beyond the outstretched boot of Chey Dunkley. Will Grigg was presented with three chances. He couldn’t get a shot on the best of them: a bobbling ball which momentarily seemed there to hit, at the end of a move which saw Gary Roberts and Michael Jacobs ferry the ball into the area.
Roberts was presented with the first half’s most clear-cut chance, but could only lever a ball over after Saints centre half Jack Stephens headed meekly down into his path, following good work on the right from the effective Gavin Massey. Wigan came to rue their profligacy.
The second half began much as the first had concluded, with Wigan in the ascendancy and Massey zeroing in a 20 yard shot which flew inches with Grigg the one who was this time unable to connect.
The breakthrough came from nowhere and was a subtle process of cause and effect. Byrne put a blot on his fine performance with a pass back into his own area which presented Manolo Gabbiadini with a gilt-edged chance to score from six yards with only Christian Walton to beat. The goalkeeper blocked out a tame shot but the strong travelling support was rallied to make some sound and that whipped up Hughes’ players, too.
Suddenly, a Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg bullet header, from Dusan Tadic’s corner, was being palmed away and after another corner Hojbjerg shot through a crowded area to score, two minutes beyond the hour. Wigan stood and stared. That was uncharacteristic.
The game should have been out of sight when substitute Nathan Redmond sent Gabbiadini through, Dunkley fouled him and conceded a penalty. But Gabbiadini’s spot kick was saved by Walton, leaping high to his left, to make a sublime stop.
Wigan continued to fight for an equaliser But Cedric Soares sealed things when Redmond’s through ball was deflected into his path in injury time and Hughes finds himself at Wembley.
Premier League survival remains the priority though. Not since Manchester City and Aston Villa were relegated in the same season in 1986-7 has one manager - Billy McNeil – presided over two sides dropping in a single campaign. With Stoke and Southampton in deep trouble, Hughes has another ignominy to avoid.
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Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article
Wigan 0-2 Southampton: Hojbjerg and Cedric secure FA Cup semi-final spot
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Mark Hughes marked his first game as Southampton boss by ending Wigan’s brave Cup run to take Saints to Wembley.
Hughes’ last match as Stoke boss was being humiliatingly beaten by League Two Coventry in January in the third round and now he is heading to Wembley for the first time as a manager in a Cup.
Wigan had Southampton on the ropes before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg netted with his first Saints’ goal on his 54th appearance.
Saints should have won by more and Christian Walton made a brilliant save to keep out Manolo Gabbiadini’s penalty.
But Cedric Soares raced clear in added time to seal the victory.
Wigan deserve huge credit for their heroic display and Paul Cook’s League One giantkillers gave absolutely everything to reach what would have been their third semi-final in six seasons.
Gary Roberts missed their best chance, while Max Power almost scored from a corner as they dominated the first half at the DW Stadium.
Southampton improved after the interval and Walton made a great save to deny Gabbiadini when Nathan Byrne had played him in with a suicidal back pass.
Walton then pushed away Hojbjerg’s header and from the resultant corner on 62 minutes, the Dane swept home Dusan Tadic’s corner from six yards out.
Gabbiadini should have made it 2-0 on 72 minute after he was brought down by Dan Burn for a penalty, but Walton brilliantly saved the Italian’s spot-kick.
Byrne 7 - Played in Gabbiadini, but was otherwise excellent at both ends of the pitch.
Dunkley 7 - Booked. Just failed to get on the end of a chance and was solid defensively.
Burn 6 - Booked. Was a presence in both boxes before he fouled Gabbiadini for a penalty.
Elder 6 - Got forward well down the left and was a good creative outlet.
Power 6 - Good set-piece delivery and almost scored direct from a corner.
Morsy 6 - The Egypt midfielder snapped into tackles and passed the ball well.
Jacobs 6 - Made a couple of surging runs into the box and went close from one.
Roberts 6 - Missed Wigan’s best chance in the first half when he dinked the ball over.
Grigg 5 - Smouldered and the Cup’s top scorer lacked the service to catch light.
McCarthy 7 - Needed to be alert to touch Power’s corner over his crossbar.
Soares 7 - Recovered from a nervous first half to settle the tie with a fine goal.
Hoedt 6 - Improved after looking uncomfortable in the first half as Wigan piled forward.
Stephens 6 - Made a great tackle to halt Jacobs when he ran through and was solid.
Bertrand 7 - Captained the side and was a real threat down the left for Saints.
Lemina 6 - Had a deflected shot saved by Walton and grew into the game.
Hojbjerg 7 - Denied by Walton seconds before he netted the winner with his first Saints goal.
Boufal 6 - Showed flashes of quality before he was replaced midway through the second half.
Carrillo 5 - The Argentinian worked hard, but continues to struggle up front for Saints.
Gabbiadini 4 - The Italian had a shocker and missed a sitter and a penalty.
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Sourced from The Independent article
Mark Hughes sets stall for Saints survival bid with back-to-basics 4-4-2
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Mark Hughes set out his stall for life at Southampton with a classic dose of 4-4-2 in his opening match in charge of the club, a 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final win at Wigan. After two seasons of aimless possession football, at least Saints can be sure things will be different under their new manager.
‘Roll up our sleeves and get back to basics’ seemed to be the message from Hughes as he began his task of steering Southampton to safety. The problem is that they have been poor at the basics for some time now, and Hughes was given a clear indication of the size of the task he faces by League One Wigan, who could and should have been out of sight at half-time.
Hughes has been received with a reluctant acceptance by most Southampton fans. A poll which received more than 5,000 votes by the local Daily Echo asked ‘Is Mark Hughes the right man to take over at Saints?’ and it returned a 61-39 result in his favour. There might not have been many options, but Southampton desperately needed fresh impetus, and in Hughes they do at least have a manager who knows both the club and the league.
The stats were trotted out this week about the same old managers getting the same top-flight jobs, and Hughes is something of an uninspiring choice. But, perhaps because he is often lumped in that group with Sam Allardyce and Alan Pardew, the typical disparaging view of Hughes is one his managerial career doesn’t entirely warrant.
His achievements with Stoke City were creditable, claiming three top-half finishes in successive seasons while breaking the Tony Pulis mould, and his Premier League win percentage (35%) is higher than Pardew, Allardyce, Pulis or Roy Hodgson despite Stoke’s slide this season which ultimately led to his sacking.
It is not always easy to identify what a Hughes team consists of, but he has undoubtedly proved over the years that he can be a steady hand, and that is exactly what Southampton need. He now has two weeks to prepare the side for what will be a monumental fixture against fellow strugglers West Ham at a toxic London Stadium. It is a match which could define the tenure Hughes and another hopping back on the Premier League ride this season, David Moyes, and in which direction their careers go next.
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Wigan 0-2 Southampton: Mark Hughes seals FA Cup semi-final spot in first game
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Mark Hughes guided Southampton into the FA Cup semi-finals in his first game in charge with a 2-0 win at Wigan on Sunday.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Cedric Soares scored their first goals for the club to seal Southampton’s passage from the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years.
Wigan were looking to reach the last four for the third time in six seasons and the 2013 winners dominated the first half but paid for not taking their chances.
Hojbjerg hooked in a 62nd-minute corner for his first Saints goal and Manolo Gabbiadini then had a 73rd-minute penalty brilliantly saved by Christian Walton before Soares added a second in stoppage-time.
Paul Cook’s men can now focus on their League One promotion push after another memorable cup run, including the scalp of Manchester City in the last round, while Hughes will hope this result can be the catalyst for a push towards Premier League safety.
The visitors had the first opening when Walton dropped an 11th-minute free-kick at the feet of Guido Carrillo but the striker’s lack of confidence showed as he poked the ball weakly back into the goalkeeper’s arms.
Nathan Byrne gave Southampton a torrid time down the right and he sparked chaos in the Saints’ defence five minutes later but his shot took a deflection and, with Chey Dunkley just unable to apply the finishing touch, the ball rolled past a post.
Gary Roberts was the next to go close, choosing an attempted lob after Jack Stephens met a long ball with a weak header when he might have been better going for power. Alex McCarthy was finally tested in the 42nd minute when a Max Power corner moved viciously in the wind and would have dipped under the bar but for a strong hand from the keeper.
Hughes was far from pleased as he walked off for half-time but it did not take long in the second period for Southampton to start to look like the higher-division side. A careless back pass from Byrne left Gabbiadini with only Walton to beat but the keeper produced a fine save to bail out his team-mate.
After Walton pushed over Hojbjerg’s bullet header, Southampton capitalised on their dominance as the Latics keeper was unable to prevent the same player hooking in the resulting corner.
Dan Burn’s desperate lunge to stop Gabbiadini resulted in a penalty, but having struck the ball towards the corner, Walton flung himself to his left and pushed Gabbiadini’s effort away.
Wigan pushed increasingly desperately for one final chance and Noel Hunt should have tested McCarthy but could not get enough on his header. Moments later Cedric broke away before finishing confidently past Walton to book Southampton’s place at Wembley.
Paul Cook: “I was fearful at half-time because I felt we had played that well in the first half and hadn’t got enough out of the game. But I can’t ask any more of the players, they’ve been a credit to the club. I think we’ve represented League One in a really good way. Now the focus is on promotion.”
Mark Hughes: “This was an important fixture. Clearly our Premier League status is a huge concern to us and we want to retain that and that is a big part of the remit I have. Today was a game we could take the maximum we needed in terms of positivity and we’ve been able to do that.”
Wigan goalkeeper Walton had a strong game and pushed away Gabbiadini’s spot-kick with an excellent diving save as he kept the hosts in the match at 1-0.
Wigan look to maintain their promotion charge when they travel Walsall on Wednesday. Southampton, meanwhile, turn their attention to preserving their Premier League status when they travel to relegation-rivals West Ham on Saturday.
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Mark Hughes was able to make a winning start to life as Southampton boss as they beat Wigan 2-0.
Despite being second best to their League One hosts in the opening half, Saints grabbed the decisive opening goal after the break.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg headed it in, while Manolo Gabbiadini had a penalty brilliantly saved, before Cedric added a late clincher.
The Saints advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 15 years.
Beaten Wigan boss Paul Cook told BT Sport after the game: "I can’t ask more and we did ourselves proud. I have just said that to the players.
“We felt we played well but didn’t work the goalkeeper enough. We will focus on the league now - we have no choice!”
Dan Burn crudely brought down Manolo Gabbiadini in the second half, and it looked as though the Italian was going to double the Saints’ advantage form the penalty spot. Although he has struggled for goals this season, many inside the DW Stadium fancied the former Napoli striker to stick the ball past Christian Walton. However, the on-loan Brighton keepoer produced one of the saves of the season to deny him. A firmly struck penalty seemed destined for the bottom left, only for Walton to fling a powerful hand out to push the ball away.
The Denmark midfielder had not scored in 54 previous appearances for the Saints, but picked a perfect time to nab his first goal. While at times it was a nervy performance by the Premier League side, Hojbjerg was reliable throughout. He got stuck in when the going got tough, and was always available to receive a pass. Fantastically taken goal, his grit and determination could be invaluable to Mark Hughes in this releagtion run in.
WHAT NEXT FOR SOUTHAMPTON
The Saints will have a well-earned rest before travelling to the London Stadium on Saturday, March 31 to face West Ham (3pm)
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Southampton end Wigan’s fairytale FA Cup run to book place in semi-finals
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Mark Hughes had the desired impact on Southampton’s so-far forgettable season, leading the club into the FA Cup semi-finals four days after being appointed as Mauricio Pellegrino’s successor.
A second half goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was enough to take the veteran Welshman through to his first Wembley cup tie appearance of his long managerial career.
But the quarter-final again showed League One Wigan in a favourable light as they traded blows impressively with a team two divisions above them.
Ultimately, they were undone in the most routine of ways as Hojbjerg drilled in directly from a Dusan Tadic corner, some 15 yards out, on 62 minutes.
Hughes’s debut match might have been even more comfortable had Manolo Gabbiadini not seen a penalty kick saved magnificently by Christian Walton, flinging himself to his left soon after, but in a season of so many disappointments for the Premier League club, and victory was more than welcome.
Eventually, deep in added time, Cedric Soares did manage to give the scoreline a lopsided look, breaking upfield and pushing the ball past Dan Burn before advancing and finishing impressively from a wide angle.
Predictably, given a cup run that had seen them account for Bournemouth, West Ham and mighty Manchester City already at the DW Stadium this season, Wigan started strongly and came within inches of taking a deserved lead on 16 minutes after Nathan Byrne steered an effort just beyond the left-hand post.
It was an attack that continued an ambitious opening from Paul Cook’s side and, as a test of his new players’ mettle, Hughes could not have asked for more and Southampton could only offer their hosts a couple of anxious moments before the break.
One was self-inflicted by Wigan as goalkeeper Walton dropped an early free-kick from Sofiane Boufal, making up for his error by blocking Guido Carrillo as he attempted to turn in the rebound.
Boufal and Tadic also linked well to set up the former for a shot which curled just over, drawing enthusiastic applause from Hughes in the Saints’ technical area.
Still Wigan almost took a deserved first half lead when Max Power’s left-wing corner appeared to be curling into the top corner of the Saints’ net at the near post until keeper Alex McCarthy tipped over.
With his team largely outplayed in that opening period, Hughes had an important team talk to give and duly gave it.
The Saints looked instantly improved after the restart with a couple of Boufal moments causing panic in the Wigan area, leading to a spell of pressure in the build-up to the opening goal.
Prior to Hojbjerg’s heroics, Boufal curled a free-kick narrowly over before, on 57 minutes, Gabbiadini squandered a glorious opportunity.
A poor back pass from Byrne landed at the feet of the Southampton forward barely eight yards out but, with only Walton to beat, the Italian was denied by an excellent save by the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg.
It was indicative of a momentum shift in the tie, however and, just after the hour, Tadic’s corner was met by Hojbjerg’s header which was tipped over by the keeper for another flag kick which led to the same player scoring.
Not that Wigan had been outclassed in the second half and, before going behind, there was a Michael Jacobs shot that just cleared the bar and excellent link-up play between Grigg and Massey which ended with the latter shooting narrowly wide.
But, as the hosts pressed, a Southampton break always looked possible and Gabbiadini should have settled the tie after 72 minutes when he was brought down by Burn, having been played clean through by Ryan Bertrand, only to see his penalty attempt saved.
In a spirited late response, a late Noel Hunt shot was headed clear by Wesley Hoedt, seconds before Southampton broke upfield to score their second.
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Sourced from Daily Mail article
Mark Hughes needs Manolo Gabbiadini goals to keep Southampton in PL
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The headlines were omissions of James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond but perhaps the most telling decision of Mark Hughes’ first afternoon as Southampton manager came up front.
Manolo Gabbiadini was the man chosen to lead their line in blustery Wigan: a striker who scores his goals in flurries. Hughes knows he needs a trademark purple patch — the sort of which we saw when he joined from Napoli for £15million last year — if they are to remain a Premier League club.
A big call and a big show of faith for someone who has started just once this calendar year and scored one goal since October.
But looking at this squad, profligate in the extreme, who else can Hughes nail his colours to? Gabbiadini has four goals this term yet only Charlie Austin has found the net more. Austin has six goals and started five matches in another injury-ravaged campaign. That he is their top scorer is frankly an embarrassment.
With Austin fit they’d unquestionably be well out of trouble but he remains sidelined and Hughes has no choice other than roll the dice with Gabbiadini. If the gamble pays off then it will do handsomely. If it doesn’t then relegation looks an inevitability.
At the DW Stadium, with Southampton second best from the very first minute, you do wonder whether the Italian will be provided regular opportunities to fire them to safety.
Here he was after the break, though, and failed the test. One huge chance squandered 10 minutes into the second half and a missed penalty later on.
That will represent a real worry for Hughes. He doesn’t offer much other than goals and therein lies the problem. He needs his strikers to do it all but lacks options.
Those willing runners, the likes of Shane Long, do not score enough goals. The poacher, Gabbiadini, doesn’t do enough outside the box. And even then, when Nathan Byrne’s terrible back pass set him free 10 yards out, he was thwarted by goalkeeper Christian Walton with the game goalless.
‘Gabbiadini has always impressed me,’ Sportsmail’s Martin Keown said on the BBC. ‘He has really good movement. It’s alarming that you come to Southampton but don’t really score goals.’
And the 26-year-old would go on to miss a penalty he won, albeit excellently thwarted by Walton again. If one goes in the rest may well follow. It’s more a question of whether the first arrives at all.
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/03/2018 19:41:38
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| Wigan Athletic 0-2 Southampton (FA Cup): Saints march into semi-finalsFANSIDEDSAINTSMARCHING || EMIRATES FA CUP REPORT: WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-2 SOUTHAMPTONWIGANATHLETICAFC |
| | Hughes defiant after debut win as Saints bossNBCSPORTS |
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| | Hojbjerg and Cedric send Saints to Wembley in FA CupSBNATIONSTMARYSMUSINGS |
| | Wigan 0-2 Southampton: A Perfect Start For Mark Hughes In The FA CupTHESPORTSMAN |
| | Watch: Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg kicks team-mate in b*llocks celebrating goalPLANETFOOTBALL |
| | Wigan Athletic 0 Southampton 2WIGANTODAY |
| | Southampton beat Wigan, reach FA Cup semisNBCSPORTS |
|| Result: Saints oust brave Wigan to reach semisSPORTSMOLE |
|| Mark Hughes sparks Southampton to nervous quarter-final winEUROSPORTUK |
| | Southampton edge Wigan after Christian Walton’s wonder save (Videos)101GREATGOALS |
| | Joy for Mark Hughes on debut as Saints reach final fourTEAMTALK |
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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article
Ball number 4 for Emirates FA Cup semi-final draw
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Saints will be ball number four in the Emirates FA Cup semi-final draw, which takes place live on BBC One after the completion of today’s other tie between Leicester and Chelsea.
The full semi-final draw numbers are as follows:
Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United
Chelsea or Leicester City
Southampton
Ties will be played across the weekend of 21-22 April, with a confirmed date and ticket details to follow in due course.
We’ll bring you news of our opponents as soon as it happens on our Twitter and Facebook pages, and right here at southamptonfc.com
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First goals for the club from Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Cédric secured victory in Hughes’s first game in charge and a Wembley semi-final for Saints, who also missed a second-half penalty through Manolo Gabbiadini.
“I was delighted, I have to say,” said Hughes of the performance.
“It was a difficult fixture for us against a Wigan side whose manager and staff deserve huge credit for the way they set up and their philosophy of how they want to play.
“This year they’ve gone up against other top Premier League clubs and overcome them, so we were the next in line, apparently, but we weren’t prepared to play that game.
“We had to match their intensity and endeavour – that’s what lower league teams will always have in abundance.
“If you don’t match that, sometimes you can come unstuck, but as a consequence of matching their endeavour, we were able to show the level of quality we have above them.
“That’s eventually what’s taken the game away from them, so I’m delighted, because it wasn’t easy for us leading up to the game with a lot of change at the club.
“The players could’ve found that difficult to deal with, but they’ve been first class since I walked through the door. It’s a good start for us, but that’s all it is, so we have to build on this now.”
The new boss started with two strikers, as Gabbiadini partnered Guido Carrillo in attack.
“I think we just needed that threat from runs in behind and that energy up front,” added Hughes. “Both of them worked their socks off – in and out of possession.
“We’re going to need everyone. Everyone’s going to play their part, but those two up front did their claims no harm whatsoever.
“We’ve got to keep that energy high and confidence high, because clearly that’s in a better place now, so we need to continue in the same vein in the Premier League.”
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Mark Hughes praises the ‘talent’ in newly-inherited Southampton side
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Mark Hughes believes his side made a ‘statement of intent’ as they beat previous giant killers Wigan to book their place in the semi-finals of this season’s FA Cup.
Former Stoke boss Hughes only took over at St Mary’s this week but was full of praise for his side on an ‘important’ day, as he spoke about the talent of his squad.
‘It was clearly a difficult week for the guys, even before I arrived at the club,’ he told the BBC post-match. 'I’ve been really impressed with the quality in the club itself.
'They’ve lost a little bit of confidence of late, and that can happen, but I’m happy with the amount of talent I’ve got to work with in this group.
‘People have questioned this group, and my appointment… it’s only a start but it’s a statement of intent. We’ve got a lot of work to do in the Premier League, clearly, but we’ll enjoy this moment. It’s a Wembley semi-final and something for the fans to look forward to.’
Southampton were 2-0 winners thanks to second-half goals from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Cedric Soares, and although they rode their luck, they were the better team.
Wigan came into the game with three Premier League scalps under their belt in the cup this season - most notably Manchester City - and Hughes believes the players did the club proud.
‘Wigan were an absolute credit to their manager and their fans, I congratulate them and they pushed us hard,’ he continued. 'We had to stand up to that.
'I thought we did okay [in the first half] up to a point, without really creating enough in the final third. I wanted to play more in their half in the second half and we started brightly in that regard.
‘We were resolute and when balls needed to be cleared, conditions were difficult for both teams, but we made right decisions at the right times in the game, and because of that it was an assured performance.’
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The Danish midfielder was in the right place to convert a 62nd minute corner from Dušan Tadić to break his duck on his 54th Saints appearance.
After a difficult first half for the visitors, the margin of victory should really have been more convincing as Manolo Gabbiadini saw his penalty brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Christian Walton 11 minutes after the opener.
But Cédric was on hand to finish a clinical counter-attack with a well-placed shot that belied his previous record of 87 Saints appearances without scoring.
Hughes made only two changes in personnel from Mauricio Pellegrino’s final game in charge at Newcastle last weekend, but significantly included two strikers in his first starting line-up.
That meant Gabbiadini came into the team to support Guido Carrillo, with Sofiane Boufal drafted in to play on the left side of midfield.
Tadić started on the right, with James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond dropping to the bench.
Wigan, who had already defeated a trio of Premier League opponents in Bournemouth, West Ham and, famously, Man City, were not scared of Saints.
The hosts forced five corners in the first 16 minutes, playing one short to Nathan Byrne, whose deflected shot travelled almost in slow-motion as it bobbled inches wide of Alex McCarthy’s post with the keeper stranded.
What was noticeable from a Saints point of view was a willingness to attack in greater numbers, but both Boufal and Mario Lemina were guilty of shooting off target when half-chances presented themselves on the edge of the box.
Then Wigan attacked again through Gavin Massey, whose cross was headed by Jack Stephens only to Gary Roberts, but the ball just would not drop quickly enough for the midfielder, whose looping effort did not trouble McCarthy.
The Wigan corner count had reached eight by the half-hour mark, but clear sights of goal were proving at a premium for both sides.
The Latics were gaining confidence. One flowing move just lacked a final shot as the FA Cup’s leading scorer, Will Grigg, was crowded out, before Michael Jacobs ignored the run of Massey to his right when his teammate had a clear route to goal.
Hughes would have known he needed to see a second-half improvement. Gabbiadini saw a shot blocked within 30 seconds of the restart, while Boufal teased in a couple of low crosses that went unconverted.
Saints’ front two were still waiting for a clear-cut opportunity. In the end, it would be Wigan right-back Nathan Byrne to provide it, as he played an ill-advised backpass straight to Gabbiadini, who could not believe his luck.
Twelve yards out with a free shot at goal, Gabbiadini was frustrated by the outstretched leg of goalkeeper Walton, who denied a certain opener.
But Saints would not be denied. From a Tadić corner on the left, the Serbian picked out Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, whose bullet header was tipped over by the suddenly busy Walton.
That meant another corner, from which the same pair combined to deadly effect, as this time Højbjerg attacked the near post to steer a left-footed shot between Walton’s dive and defender Dan Burn on the goal line.
Now Saints’ Premier League status had become more apparent, as Wigan struggled to cope with the visitors’ extra gear.
On 73 minutes, the hosts should have been waving goodbye to their cup dream once and for all, as substitute Nathan Remond dissected their defence to feed the run of Gabbiadini, who was only stopped in his tracks by a clumsy sliding tackle from the frantically retreating Burn.
But as the Italian picked himself up to dispatch the spot-kick, he was denied by a flying save from Walton, who repelled a fiercely-struck penalty with his outstretched left hand to keep the tie in the balance.
Now with renewed belief, Wigan set about forcing Saints back, so Hughes responded by introducing Shane Long to force them back, and Oriol Romeu to plug the gaps.
With four added minutes, Saints would have to dig deep. Wesley Hoedt crucially headed clear as Wigan applied late pressure, but Cédric found himself in unfamiliar territory as Redmond led a swift breakaway, and finished with aplomb to send over 4,000 travelling fans into raptures.
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Højbjerg: “Happy to make the fans smile”
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Speaking after his side had battled to a 2-0 win over giant-killers Wigan in the Emirates FA Cup, the Danish midfielder express his delight at the way his team went about business at the DW Stadium.
“It’s a great achievement and I think we’re really happy for the club and the new coach and most importantly the fans,” he commented. “We have given them a good experience after what happened last week.
“We can take a lot from the game and I am happy that we could give the fans something to smile about.”
Victory over the Latics ensured Saints players and fans alike will be approaching the new week with a different outlook to the one shared following defeat to Newcastle in the Premier League six days ago.
“The world went down last week and now today we are in the semi-final of the FA Cup and that is football,” he added. “This win does not change our standing in the league but let’s just focus on today and smile about the result here.
“You always want to hit back even harder after a defeat and we did that today. Great credit to Wigan, they didn’t come so far for nothing. They are a great side and they have some quality.
“To match a team like this you have to battle. To play a team high on confidence in these conditions, in their stadium, after knocking out three Premier League teams, it is not an easy task."
All the key ingredients then for a good night’s sleep for Saints’ number 23.
“It is a really good feeling to know that I have helped the 11 players on the field, the guys sitting out, the whole group and the supporters here in the cold. I will sleep good tonight now.”
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/03/2018 20:42:16
| | SPORTSKEEDA |
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|| Bertrand happy with Hughes arrivalSPORTSMOLE |
| | THE72 |
|| Hughes happy with "statement of intent"SPORTSMOLE |
| | Southampton issued “statement of intent”, says HughesEIRSPORT |
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
Watch as the #SaintsFC squad thanked the superb travelling support following victory at #WAFC:
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