Southampton - 2 Millwall - 1:FA Cup Fourth Round Replays: A competition designed for unlikely heroes found another fine example last night and, while this was not to be a victory for the underdog, the goals that won the game for Southampton came from a most unusual source. Matt Oakley's two previous strikes had come at the rate of one a season, but here he discovered his predator's touch and the Lions were finally beaten.
The strike which brought Southampton a 21st-minute lead was not that of a player short of confidence in front of goal, his second was that of a practised opportunist. Millwall had tired towards the end of normal time and for much of the additional half-hour were chasing shadows while the Saints' superior passing finally paid dividends.
The winning goal, however, came not from a fluid move but from a ball cheaply given away in midfield by Steven Reid. Anders Svensson passed to the lurking Oakley, just outside the area, and distracted the defence with a run to the left while the Peterborough-born midfielder considered his options before shooting low inside Tony Warner's far post, aided perhaps by a slight deflection. Saints are now at home to Norwich in the fifth round.
Saints had the weight of history on their side. This was the fifth time they had been drawn against Millwall in the Cup and they had never lost, even if on four of those five occasions, stretching back to 1900, they had been taken to a replay.
Their manager Gordon Strachan had been confident enough in advance: "I think we should win, unless we're unlucky."
They were not so much unlucky as outplayed as the game began, with Millwall making the best chances despite an even share of possession and Benali immediately catching the eye.
In the fourth minute he gave the ball away to Charley Hearn only to race back and deflect the Millwall midfielder's shot to safety. Steve Claridge was harshly ruled offside when played through in the 11th minute before Steven Reid blasted a free-kick just too high.
The nearest Southampton had come in the opening 20 minutes was a dangerous through-ball from Beattie, gathered by Warner from Fabrice Fernandes' feet.
But they were to need only one chance to take the lead, as Paul Telfer's ball into the box was chested into the path of Oakley, whose first-time left-foot shot whistled into the corner of the goal.
It was just beginning to look as if the Lions had lost their pride when Ifill played in Claridge, beating the offside trap for the first time, and his low cross was pushed in, at the second attempt, by Reid.
As the play became more even the most telling difference between the two sides was up front. At one end Beattie threw himself around until he received a booking, presumably for persistent foul play, after a late challenge on the goalkeeper. At the other the 36-year-old Steve Claridge toiled impressively as the home side's lone striker.
The Saints were playing the ball impressively through midfield but found the home defence, marshalled by Paul Robinson, largely impenetrable.
Jo Tessem got a rare sight of goal from Oakley's low cross in the 57th minute, shooting across goal and wide from eight yards, then Beattie went closer still 10 minutes later, hitting the near post with a close-range header.
MILLWALL: Warner; Lawrence (Baltacha, 111), Robinson, Ward, Ryan; Ifill, Hearn (Kinet, 87), Wise (May, 104), Livermore, Reid; Claridge.Booked: Wise, Robinson.
SOUTHAMPTON: Niemi; Telfer, Lundekvam, M Svensson, Benali; A Svensson, Oakley, Marsden, Fernandes (Ormerod, 105); Beattie, Tessem (Davies, 66). Booked: Beattie.
Referee: M Halsey.
Guardian Service
After extra time. 1-1 after 90 mins
