Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Southampton. The FA Cup Fifth Round.
Molineux.
Report as Southampton forwards Danny Ings and Stuart Armstrong score second-half goals to eliminate Wolves from the FA Cup; the Saints now take their place in the draw for the last eight
Friday 12 February 2021 06:47, UK
Second-half goals from Danny Ings and Stuart Armstrong saw Southampton beat Wolves 2-0 at Molineux to progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Ings fired the visitors ahead four minutes after half-time, albeit with the help of the Video Assistant Referee after the striker's goal had initially been ruled out for offside.
Armstrong sealed the win in the last minute as the Saints advanced to a last-eight clash at south-coast rivals Bournemouth.
While Wolves were much changed, perhaps mindful of Sunday's trip to St Mary's in the Premier League, Ralph Hasenhuttl opted to field a strong-looking line-up as Southampton looked to book another quarter-final berth, having made it all the way to the semis three years ago.
However, it was a first half largely to forget in the Midlands, with the visitors on top, but missing that final pass, or composure in front of goal, against opponents clearly suffering a lack of confidence.
The closest either side came to opening the scoring was when Ryan Bertrand's left-wing cross somehow made its way through to the unmarked Nathan Redmond at the far post, only for the forward to fluff his lines.
But the second period was a different affair, beginning with a dreadful close-range miss by Armstrong that was soon forgotten when his team took the lead seconds later.
Bertrand slipped Ings clean through on goal and faced with just the advancing John Ruddy to beat, the forward saw his initial effort saved by the back-up Wolves 'keeper, only for the ball to rather fortuitously end up in the net off the England international.
At first, the hosts thought they had got away with it after the flag went up for offside, only for the VAR to decide that Ings had timed his run perfectly.
The visitors could, and should, have increased their lead midway through the second half when Armstrong played Redmond through, only for Ruddy to deny the forward with a brilliant block.
However, Fraser Forster was also called upon to make a wonderful goal-line stop with his legs to deny substitute Adama Traore with 11 minutes to go, before Armstrong finished the tie as a contest late on.
Leander Dendoncker did Ruddy no favours with a firmly struck back pass which the 'keeper failed to control, and while Nathan Tella could not get the better of the Wolves No 1, the sub still laid the ball off for Armstrong, who from a tight angle found the corner of the net with a delightful curler.
Wolves boss Nuno: "It was about the schedule, the game, what we have in front of us, solutions for the team and trying to find other options.
"It's not about regrets, we decided on the moment we had and because we wanted to find other things for the team.
"Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't and today it didn't. There are many things we have to decide. Everyone needs to do more, when tough moments come we need the best from everyone.
"It's a frustrating night for us, we are out of the competition because we didn't compete so well. We conceded easy goals.
"We didn't create enough and we will keep on trying and looking to improve. We wanted to go through, it was everyone's wish."
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl: "We are still in the Cup, which is fantastic.
"We said when we were more comfortable in the league we can focus on the Cup. We want to go for the FA Cup and this is a chance to win something.
"We haven't had an easy time in the last few weeks so it's important to win and they have been convinced about what they are doing.
"In the end we deserved to win. It's not easy to create chances against Wolves, we had the better ones and we never stopped believing. This time we had luck with the VAR for the first time in a long time.
"We have a south coast derby now which is always intense and we will go there trying to win."
What a signing Ings has been for Southampton, with the deadly goal poacher on hand to grab the crucial opener at Molineux on Thursday, the striker's eighth of the season.
In fact, since joining the Saints in 2018, Ings has scored 41 goals in all competitions, at least 23 more than any other player for the south-coast club in that time.
And Southampton will need him to be at his very best in front of goal if they are to keep progressing in this season's cup.
Both sides face each other once again in the Premier League on Sunday, with the clash at St Mary's kicking off at noon.
