Southampton qualified for the third round of the Capital One Cup tonight after beating Millwall 2-0 at The Den.
It took some 52 minutes for the Premier League side to edge ahead following an insipid first half, as Jack Cork headed the Saints into the lead.
Cork's header separated the side for much of the half, but Graziano Pelle bagged his first goal in English football in the dying stages to seal the victory.
Below, you can see how all of the action unfolded with Sports Mole's live coverage.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen and a very warm welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of Southampton's trip to Millwall in the second round of the Capital One Cup.
Team news for this one has just been announced so let's get right into it:
Millwall XI: Forde; Hoyte, Webster, Williams (C), Briggs; Chaplow, Abdou, Powell; Gueye, Marquis, Easter
Southampton XI: Forster; Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Targett; Wanyama, S. Davis, Ward-Prowse, Isgrove; Long, Pelle
Millwall Subs: Gerrar, Goodman, Siafa, Thompson, Onyedinma, O'Brien, Gregory
Southampton Subs: K. Davis, Gardos, Ramírez, Tadić, Taïder, Cork, Stephens
Let's start with the Saints and I can tell you that Ronald Koeman makes three changes from Saturday's 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion. 18-year-old Matt Targett replaces Ryan Bertrand in defence for his club debut. Lloyd Isgrove comes in for Morgan Schneiderlin, while striker Shane Long returns at the expense of Dusan Tadic to partner Graziano Pelle in attack. No messing about from Koeman tonight, which is nice to see.
Ian Holloway, meanwhile, makes no fewer than NINE changes to his XI from the 1-0 defeat to Rotherham United, with Irish duo David Forde and Shaun Williams the only survivors. Veteran striker Jermaine Easter spearheads the Lions' attack, while Jack Powell makes his senior debut. You can tell which of the two managers is more interested in reaching the third round, can't you?
We can't blame Holloway, can we? His side survived relegation by just four points last season and, despite a strong start to the Championship campaign, with seven points from 12, it's clear that he has no intention of flirting with League One again. Fair play.
Back to Southampton and I wonder if we could we see the arrival of Graziano Pelle this evening? The striker signed for the Saints back in July but came in for some criticism after two poor displays against Liverpool and West Brom respectively. You wonder if he needs a game like this, against lower league opposition, to spike his confidence. Having scored 50 times in 57 appearances for Feyenoord, the £8m man definitely knows where the goal is.
DID YOU KNOW? Millwall have won just ONE of their previous 12 meetings against the Saints? Yep, not a great record, is it? What's more is that Southampton have won their last three second-round games - all of which came away from home. These omens, combined with the Lions' under-strength XI, it's slightly ominous, right? But who knows. The League Cup may not be as magical as its older, more attractive brother, but you're always guaranteed a few upsets!
PREDICTION! Right, I'm going to betray the optimism evident from my last entry and predict a Southampton win. It's hard to look past Southampton tonight, who may just seal their first win under Koeman. Let's be bold and go for the score, too. 3-0 Saints. We're seven minutes from kickoff!
Right so, both sets of players are due to make their way out on to the field now and we should be kicking off very, very soon. Stay tuned, my friends.
There's two lions running around the pitch!!! Have they escaped from London Zoo? Is anybody in danger? No, it's just the Millwall mascots. There's not many people in attendance to entertain, mind you.
And here they are. Both teams are entering the frey and we're just minutes away now.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off here folks. Southampton, playing from left to right, get us underway.
Southampton off to a promising start as Clyne gallops down the right-hand flank, but his cut-back pass was fired wide by Graziano Pelle. Good start for the visitors.
Southampton bossing the possession thus far, comfortably knocking it around as Millwall struggle to get the ball and keep it so far.
Justin Hoyte launches the ball upfield from defence but Jermain Easter is flagged offside. They'll need to keep an eye on Easter tonight. He's made a decent career out of making those behind-the-defence runs.
As I say that, Easter's pass just trickles out past the corner flag. The Ryder Cup is coming up, isn't it?
Free kick in a good position for Saints now after Shane Long was bundled over by Webster on the edge of the area....
....and it comes nothing as James Ward-Prowse's effort thumps off the wall. It was a little too close if anything, so much so that the Saints midfielder actually moved the ball back a little! Still 0-0 here.
Good chance that Southampton might've done better with. Lloyd Isgrove leads a counter-attack but, in a five on four situation, the youngster chose the wrong option by crossing it and Forde comfortably takes the catch. Decent chance for something that.
Little fluency to this one now. Both sides struggling to keep possession thus far. Just as I write that, Ward-Prowse beats his marker and launches a shot toward goal, but it's tame and Forde easily gathers.
Clyne fires a cross into the box but it's easy for Forde. The youngster has been one of the Saints' best players so far, though. He's also scored the club's only goal of the season in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool so Millwall will want to keep an eye on him.
There's a bit of concern for Ronald Koeman as Isgrove goes to ground injured. It looks to be a knee injury but we'll keep you apprised of this as more information develops.
Isgrove is back on the field having shaken off that knock. It's got a pre-season feel this one. If it wasn't for the Southampton fans you'd be able to a pin drop!
Better from Millwall, who swing a few hopeful crosses into the area but Southampton deal with them. Isgrove has gone to ground again and surely he'll go off this time. Something not right with him.
SUBSTITUTION: Dusan Tadic replaces the stricken Isgrove, who walks off the field gingerly. Still, can't be a bad thing to welcome on an £11m signing in his place, can there!
Really good play from Pelle, who holds the ball up well on the semi-circle before looking for the advancing Ward-Prowse but the pass was cut out.
Good spell from Southampton here as Ward-Prowse's effort is well closed down by Chaplow, before Tadic's in-swinging cross is headed out for a corner. Better from the Premier League side.
CHANCE! I don't believe it. Gueye somehow manages to find himself through on goal from Forde's kick-out, but the striker's wild left-footed strike drifts well away from the target. It was a shocking finish to be honest.
Little ambitious from Pelle now, who tries to beat Forde from the halfway line! The home fans let out a 'wahey' before the ball even reached Forde, which should illustrate how close it was. Nine for ambition. Two for execution.
Seven minutes left in the half and Millwall will be kicking themselves that they're not a goal up after Gueye's effort.
Fonte looks to play in Shane Long but his ball trickles out for a goal kick. Long will aim to have a better second-half - if he stays on the field - after a pretty disappointing first half here.
Speaking of Long, he's now furious after Southampton were denied a corner after Davis's strike was deflected wide by Chaplow - and he has a case. Poor call from the official.
Three minutes added on here folks.
Southampton are so nearly through. Pelle plays an over-the-top ball for Long, who hangs on the shoulder of the last man but he's fractionally offside. The Irishman sticks it in the back of the net anyway! No booking.
Millwall finish strongly and win a corner through Easter's perseverance. It comes to nothing as Marquis's header looks close, but it runs out for a throw.
HALF TIME: MILLWALL 0-0 SOUTHAMPTON
So, there we have it! It hasn't been the most exciting of contests thus far, with Gueye spurning the one and only goalscoring opportunity of the contest.
So, what are the positives? Well the main one is that Southampton, with many of their key performers on the field, will want the game to open up in the second half and try create a little more. They go to West Ham on Saturday chasing their first win of the season, and they won't want extra time and even penalties here. I'll be surprised if they don't go for it in the second half.
Another positive? Insomniacs may be now cured after that first-half display!
On a lighter note, the half-time entertainment on display seems to be children rolling around the field inside giant inflatable balls. They're having races from one end of the field to the other. They're now being rolled off the field as the players return. The restart is imminent.
It's 0-0 in the scoreline but it's 2-0 to Millwall in the waiting game. The Londoners left their South Coast counterparts waiting in the tunnel before kickoff, and they're late arrivals for the second-half, too!
Right so we're off again here folks. Millwall get us back underway. Southampton need for this to open up a little because, as discussed, they won't want extra time or penalties.
CHANCE! That's a bit more like it. Jermain Easter gallops through a gap in the Southampton defence before firing just wide from outside the box. Forster was beaten. Good start to the half.
SUBSTITUTION: Jack Cork replaces Victor Wanyama, by the way. Koeman only has one more sub available having being forced into an early change through Isgrove's injury.
SAVE! As predicted this one has well and truly opened up, and it's Tadic who goes close for Southampton, firing from outside the box but David Forde tips his shot over the bar. His international colleague Shane Long gestured to him that it was one for the cameras but it really was a fine save.
GOAL! Millwall 0-1 Southampton (CORK)
Here we are then as we finally get a goal, and Southampton have deserved it as substitute Jack Cork powered Tadic's corner past Forde from close range. The corner came when Forde again produced a fine save, this time denying Pelle. Didn't I tell you it would liven up?
OFF THE POST! Oh my word it should be two, as Pelle is denied his first goal in English football by the post. There was an excellent bit of skill from Shane Long in the build-up to the chance and overall it deserved a goal.
CHANCE! I don't know what Koeman said in his half-time team-talk but Southampton have really come to life here and they should've had a second. Clyne was the provider once again but Ward-Prowse fired his cut-back pass just wide.
YELLOW CARD: Maya Yoshida is in trouble here as he takes down Marquis in what looked quite innocuous to be fair.
SUBSTITUTION: Couple of Millwall subs to tell you about now as Richard Chaplow makes way for Aiden O'Brien, while Onyedinma replaces Gueye.
The hosts have done well to settle the ship a little since those flurry of chances but still trail 1-0. There's plenty of time left, however, so let's not rule them out.
CHANCE! Just as I say that, Pelle could, and perhaps should, have made it two. The Italian reached Long's excellent ball, but after trying to head over Forde, failed and then saw an audacious backheel roll out of play.
Some 20 minutes left here and god only knows how Southampton are not leading 5-0. They've thrown away a deluge of goalscoring opportunities so far. But will their wastefulness get punished? Stay tuned.
PENALTY APPEAL: Millwall have what looks like a strong penalty appeal after Marquis is bundled over in the box but the referee plays on.
SHOT! It's Pelle again, folks. The Italian can't buy a goal tonight, as his latest bid just misses the post following a shot from outside the area. If he finds his shooting boots then we're looking at a golden boot winner ladies and gents!
SAVE! Forde gets down well to deny, who? Yep, you guessed it, it's Pelle again. He turns and shoots but his well-struck shot isn't enough to beat the Irishman. Is there a world record for having the most shots without scoring? If so then this chap has probably beaten it.
SHOT! And it's Forster this time who has to make a save, as the big keeper punches Shaun Williams' long-range strike away. As long as it's only 1-0 then the hosts have a chance.
10 minutes left here at the Den and Millwall aren't out of this by a long shot. Southampton, to their credit, look comfortable.
YELLOW CARD: Pelle might not get on the score sheet, but he does get his name in the referees notebook for a tangle with Easter.
CHANCE! Tadic has been superb since coming on. He really has. The playmaker twists and turns his marker inside out before attempting to curl beyond Forde from outside the area, but his effort sails narrowly over the bar. Great effort.
Time is running out for the hosts as Forster comes and collects Jermaine Easter's teasing cross. Two minutes of adding time left.
There's two minutes of added time here folks as Gaston Ramirez replaces Shane Long to eat a chunk out of that time.
Jack Cork concedes a timely free kick as that looks to be that for Millwall.
GOAL!!! Millwall 0-2 Southampton (Pelle)
He has his goal folks! Graziano Pelle is played through on goal by Gaston Ramirez before slotting beyond David Forde for his first goal in England! It's a great finish ladies and gentlemen and I'm quite pleased for him in truth, having missed about five decent opportunities prior to striking gold.
FULL TIME: MILLWALL 2-0 SOUTHAMPTON
That's that, my friends. Southampton move into the third round of the Capital One Cup with a 2-0 win away to Millwall. Jack Cork banished memories of a really poor opening 45 minutes by scoring early in the second half, before Graziano Pelle ended the night with a well deserved goal by putting the win beyond doubt in the final stages.
Anyways I truly hope you've enjoyed Sports Mole's live commentary of this one and I'll see you again soon. Goodnight and god bless.
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
