U18 report: Saints 1-3 Swansea

In difficult conditions, the visitors made a bright start - in contrast to the weather - with Charlie Clancy netting inside the opening 10 minutes.

In a game of limited chances, Saints had to wait until the second half to deservedly draw level when Kazeem Olaigbe recorded a fine solo effort.

Having gotten back into the game, parity lasted just three minutes as Luke Motruk put the visitors back in front on 71 minutes, before Ali Al-Hamadi added a third late on to leave the hosts frustrated.

Paul Hardyman made three changes to the side that faced Leicester City in the league last weekend, with Ollie Wright handed a starting spot between the sticks in place of Matt Hall.

Further forward, Rio Glean and Lucas Defise replaced the duo of Sam Bellis and Jack Turner as their cup campaign began.

Despite swirling wind and rain, Saints had no problem beginning in confident manner with some early flowing possession which twice nearly allowed Jayden Smith a sight of goal.

However, adjusting to the conditions in equally quick fashion, the visitors took the lead after engineering two chances in quick succession.

Both fell to Clancy, with the striker first lashing a shot from just inside the box over Wright’s crossbar.

With his sights set, Swansea’s number nine then found the opener moments later with a first-time sliding finish from a left-wing cross.

Clearly buoyed, the Swans looked for a quick-fire second when Eric Kencko’s clever through ball set Al-Hamadi in on goal, only to scoop an effort wide of the target.

Suffering no further early setbacks Southampton continued to see plenty of the ball, although visiting goalkeeper Tyler Evans remained untested.

Roland Idowu had a shot well blocked after Evans spilled James Morris’s low cross, whilst captain Seamas Keogh whipped a strike high and wide from 25 yards as the half-hour mark came and went.

With the wet conditions persisting, the only thing that dried up was shots on goal as both sides exchanged spells of possession leading up to the break.

After the restart, and clearly in determined manner, it was Saints who looked to build some momentum.

Hardyman’s side enjoyed the lion’s share of possession with Rio Glean proving to be a lively outlet, although shots on goal remained elusive.

Olaigbe’s clever scooped ball over the visiting defence was the kind of ingenuity needed in order to find an equaliser, but Evans was quick off his line to smother the danger.

After almost providing the assist, Olaigbe took matters into his own hands and rifled home a deserved leveller on 68 minutes.

Racing towards the Swansea defence, the winger worked his way to the edge of the box before firing an unstoppable strike into the top corner to restore parity.

However, the lead was to last just three minutes as Saints’ hard work was undone by Motruk.

Morgan Clarke’s weaving run attracted the attention of most of Southampton’s defenders, freeing space for the left-back to pick out the bottom corner from the angle after being played in.

With the clock against them, the hosts once again ramped up the pressure on their Welsh opponents in search of a second equaliser.

Substitute Mikey Saunders had a low cross parried away by Evans with Smith lurking, but in the dying embers of the game, and with numbers pushed forward, Al-Hamadi tapped in a third to ensure the three points would be leaving Staplewood with the visitors.