3/1 To Win
Derby County stood tall against Premier League opposition once again this season, defeating Southampton 5-3 on penalties after fighting back to earn a 2-2 draw in the FA Cup Third Round Replay.
The Rams will now move on to an away tie against Accrington Stanley.
Craig Bryson found the back of the net in the first-half, only to be denied the goal after VAR review. Stuart Armstrong headed in to give the Saints the lead which was soon doubled by Nathan Redmond.
As they did in the first meeting, the Rams came roaring back after Harry Wilson fired in a free-kick for his 11th goal of the season before turning provider for Martyn Waghorn.
Derby and Southampton couldn’t be split after 90 minutes or an extra 30 minutes to send Derby to their second penalty shoot-out this season and for a second time they held their nerve and buried every effort to win the tie.
It was a fairly even starts by both sides as Derby once again showed they were a match to a Premier League side in their third trip to a top-tier stadium this season.
Kelle Roos made a superb save from close range after 20 minutes to deny the home side lead. Jack Stephens regained possession as the Rams were playing out from the back. Tyreke Johnson’s low cross then found Shane Long right in front of the goal, but his effort was instinctively saved by Derby’s ‘keeper.
By the half an hour mark, the Rams were certainly on top looking the more threatening side. Some wonderfully worked play out from the back starting from Richard Keogh saw Waghorn play through to Wilson in the box who quickly flicked back to Mason Mount. However, under pressure, the midfielder rifled his shot over.
The Rams continued to work the ball quickly between themselves holding the majority of possession and with less than ten minutes left in the half, they found the back of the net – only for the goal to be disallowed after VAR review.
The build-up was beautifully worked before Waghorn fed to Bryson by the left post to tap in. However, after a lengthy VAR review, Waghorn was ruled offside by the finest of margins.
Just after the hour mark, Harry Wilson, back in action after injury, turned from his marker before his left-footed strike from range was saved by Gunn.
A formation change and the addition of Redmond made Southampton more of a force and midway through the second-half, the Saints took the lead. Scott Malone did brilliantly to clear Long’s header off the line, but it landed straight to Armstrong to follow up with the goal.
The lead was doubled shortly after when Redmond went clean through and chipped his shot past Roos.
Wilson got the Rams quickly back in the game with 15 minutes to play with his 11th goal of the season. It was another wonderfully taken free-kick from the right brushed over the wall and into the far corner.
Just as they did in the first meeting, the Rams fought back from 2-0 behind. This time Waghorn found the equaliser with a powerful free header inside the box on the end of Wilson’s cross from the right.
In added time, Tom Lawrence had a chance to win it for the Rams following a quick break. Waghorn floated a cross into the area but the Welshman’s header went over. Mohamed Elyounoussi then almost snatched it but couldn’t reach the end of Redmond’s cross.
Roos made another great save from close range with ten minutes to play in extra time, this time to deny Redmond who was played through by Romeu to go one-on-one. It was the best chance from either side to find the winning goal.
With no goals in extra time, the Rams faced their second penalty shootout of the season. Waghorn and David Nugent both made their penalties before Saints’ goalscorer, Redmond fired his effort wide.
Mount, Lawrence and Richard Keogh all buried their penalties to send the Rams though to the next round to face Accrington Stanley.
Southampton: Gunn; Cedric, Stephens, Vestergaard, Ramsay (Targett, 110); Romeu, Ward-Prowse; Elyounoussi, Armstrong (Slattery, 91), Johnson (Redmond, 45); Long (Gallagher, 73)
Unused Subs: McCarthy, Bednarek, Barnes
Derby County: Roos; Bogle (Holmes, 94), Keogh (C), Tomori, Malone; Bryson, Huddlestone (Lawrence, 79), Mount; Waghorn, Marriott (Nugent, 76), Wilson (Bennett, 103)
Unused Subs: Carson, Evans, Lowe
