English League Cup: Southampton surrendered their place in the English League Cup with a humiliating defeat at Watford as the home side's fans poured scorn on the Premiership team in a soul-destroying second half for rookie head coach Steve Wigley.

Ray Lewington's Watford team, ninth in the Championship and with a reputation as draw specialists, dished out a hiding to sorry Saints after the break when two goals by James Chambers and others by Heidar Helguson and Hameur Bouazza were added to Bruce Dyer's first-half effort.

The Hornets reached the last eight of the competition by avenging the 2-1 defeat they suffered against Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final two seasons ago.

Dyer adopted a shoot-on-sight policy almost from the start, even though his breakthrough goal was a powerful header.

He was not far off the mark as early as the fourth minute with a low drive, and then bustled through two tackles, falling over the second by Claus Lundekvam but not receiving the penalty he demanded from referee Barry Knight.

Saints had another scare when Watford's Icelandic midfielder Brynjar Gunnarsson flicked on Neal Ardley's left wing corner at the near post in the 26th minute but could not follow up to score.

But the best chance so far fell to Saints' Mikael Nilsson in the 32nd minute when a sweeping cross-field move left him a clear shot which he mis-kicked back across the goalmouth off the outside of his right foot.

Paul Telfer, fed on the right by Darren Kenton, had swung the ball in, missing out Kevin Phillips and Brett Ormerod and leaving Nilsson a full sight of goal had his aim been true and his touch sound.

And Saints paid the price for those deficiencies when Dyer put Watford in front six minutes later.

His powerful header from Ardley's free-kick into the area after the big striker muscled his way in front of the Southampton defenders left rookie goalkeeper Alan Blayney no hope.

After Blayney blocked a Neil Cox volley in the early minutes of the second half, he was beaten for a second time by Chambers' close-range jab at another Ardley set-piece, a corner in the 52nd minute.

Chambers added his second 10 minutes later after Dyer battled to hold off two defenders and pull back from the byline, and Helguson notched a cracking fourth from fellow Icelander Gunnarsson on 66 minutes.

And Watford were running riot until Dexter Blackstock pulled one back for Saints from fellow sub Leandre Griffit's pass.

Almost immediately Watford's own sub Bouazza grabbed their fifth from a Helguson pass before Ormerod struck right at the end with a header in off the crossbar.

Burnley's wastefulness provided new Tottenham head coach Martin Jol with the win which was craved as the Londoners sealed a place in the quarter-finals.

Two goals from Robbie Keane either side of half-time and a stunning third from Jermain Defoe ensured Spurs will be in the hat for tonight's last-eight draw.

Portsmouth also moved into the quarter-finals as Aiyegbeni Yakubu's double strike saw off the challenge of Cardiff at Ninian Park.