Southampton vs Huddersfield: Saints Player Ratings in Victory

Southampton head to the 4th round of the FA Cup thanks to debut goals from a pair of 19 year old academy prospects.

The initial story for the fixture were the host of changes from Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.  He opted to give a full day off to the likes of Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg, Alex McCarthy, Nathan Redmond, Ryan Bertrand, and Jan Bednarek.  While restoring backups Kevin Danso, Maya Yoshida, and Jannik Vestergaard to the starting eleven.  Angus Gunn returned for the first time following the 0-9 loss to Leicester City, and Saints fans were introduced to Jake Vokins and Will Smallbone.  After a grueling Holiday period which saw Southampton pick up more points than any other Premier League team not named Liverpool, it was a justifiable shakeup for the FA Cup competition.

Huddersfield sat very compact in their own half for the entirety of the opening 45 minutes.  The Southampton patience was tested as they moved the ball side to side, rarely finding a way through.  The Saints’ defence held most of possession with the outside backs providing the primary route forward.  Kevin Danso had a ton of the ball playing unnaturally at a right-back position, but very little was created.  Shane Long did hit the back of the net for the Saints just before half time.  Will Smallbone cushioned a Vestergaard pass into the Irishman’s path who side-footed the ball into the bottom corner.  However, for once, VAR was against the Saints, as Long was found to be offside by merely a foot.

The Terriers pressed a little higher in the second half, but it was the home side that would open scoring.  Kevin Danso created enough space for a looping back post cross which nearly went out of play.  Shane Long, per usual, never gave up on the ball, heading it back across goal to Smallbone who had an eternity to place his strike.  The Southampton academy product thought little about the opportunity, driving the ball into the back of the net with his left foot.

Jake Vokins, also on his senior debut, added to the festivities with a game-ending strike of his own.  A well-timed run from a Che Adams change of play saw the youngster racing toward goal all alone.  He chose to go for the shot from 20 yards out, which clipped the heels of a Huddersfield defender and the bottom of the crossbar before going in.  This capped an exciting day for a club that is built upon youth, but has had so few opportunities to showcase them in recent years.  Here are the player ratings from the Southampton side who are on to the next round of the FA Cup.