Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl was pleased with his side’s performance, as a youthful looking Southampton outfit secured a spot in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Shrewsbury at St Mary’s.
A first senior goal for Dan Nlundulu on his full debut put the hosts ahead at the break, before a trademark James Ward-Prowse free-kick just before full-time booked a home tie against Arsenal in the fourth round on Saturday.
Making seven changes to the side that faced Leicester in the Premier League last weekend – including debuts for Academy products Kegs Chauke and Caleb Watts – Hasenhüttl was impressed by what he saw on Tuesday night.
“It was a dominant performance,” he said. “We didn’t score so often but the young lads did okay.
“The team was trying to break them down but against a deep sitting opponent where there wasn’t a lot of space, you must be patient.
Ralph hasenhüttl
these are the games we need to give them, as we must give them the chance to play.
on fielding academy products
“We were very, very calm in possession and didn’t give a lot of chances away, I think they only had one, and finally it was okay.
“We had a few young lads today on the pitch and at the beginning they were a little bit nervous, but the longer the game went on the calmer they got.
“I think it was an important experience for them, and these are the games we need to give them, as we must give them the chance to play.
“We now have two times against a good side [Arsenal in the FA Cup and Premier League] and we need two times a good performance, because this is a good challenge for us.”
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