Southampton 3 Cheltenham Town 0

Goals from Adam Lallana, Guly do Prado and Oscar Gobern saw Saints easily into the hat with a chance of drawing one of the Premier League big boys in the next round.

But it came at a cost.

Adkins fielded a strong team and saw several players come off injured while Jose Fonte picked up a fifth booking of the season that will rule him out of the league trip to Hartlepool next weekend.

It was a fairly serene start to the game, Saints having the first shot on four minutes as Lee Holmes cut in from the right but put his left footed effort well over the bar.

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Bartosz Bialkowski’s first start of the season didn’t get off to the most comfortable of starts as he was down injured just a couple of minutes later after Jose Fonte was shoved into the keeper who ended up needing treatment.

However, after getting back on his feet he saw Saints take the lead on eight minutes.

Ryan Dickson got in down the left and laid a low near post cross into the box which was met first time by Adam Lallana.

His neatly angled shot went across Scott Brown who got his fingertips to it but couldn’t stop it going into the far corner for 1-0.

Lallana came close to doubling the advantage on 16 minutes when he cut in from the left to bend the ball right footed just wide of the far post.

Saints had to stay compact as they were down to ten men for several minutes as Lee Holmes required attention off the pitch after hurting his ankle but they not only survived that period but continued to look comfortable.

However, after Holmes went down again moments after returning to pitch, again clutching his right ankle, he limped off on 26 minutes to be replaced on the right wing by Alex Chamberlain.

Saints were in total control of the game and just needed another goal to give themselves the breathing space to relax a little.

It almost came on the half hour mark as a deep left wing cross picked out Rickie Lambert who side footed back across goal only for Andy Gallinagh to be back on the line to clear before any Saints player had a chance of turning it in.

Kelvin Davis stripped off ready for action after Bialkowski required more treatment on his shoulder but it was decided the keeper could continue for the time being.

Josh Low became the first man in the book for ma foul on Lallana.

Radhi Jaidi had a sight of goal on 37 minutes but sliced his volley well wide.

Jaidi was in the thick of the action again a minute later, heading Lallana’s right wing corner back across goal for Guly do Prado. His stooping header hit the post, possibly via a deflection on the line which the Brazilian was claiming was handball.

Bialkowski had his first action of note on 41 minutes and he was quick off his to smother before Brian Smikle could get on the end of a through ball.

Saints were worryingly forced into another change before half time with Danny Butterfield replacing the injured Richardson at right back.

Bialkowski had a save to make on 43 minutes as Keith Low carefully watched a half cleared cross drop out of the air but from 12 yards his volley was straight at the Saints keeper.

Guly went in the book just before half time and when the whistle went Saints were happy to be in front but with only one goal in it had not yet killed the tie off.

Both sides made a half time change with Dan Harding coming on for Lambert for Saints. Harding went to left back, Dickson to left midfield, Lallana to the right, Chamberlain up front with Guly off of him.

Wesley Thomas replaced Shroot for Cheltenham.

Saints almost doubled their lead a minute after the restart as Oscar Gobern headed home only for it to be ruled out for a foul as he climbed to win the ball.

Lallana cut in from his new right sided position and unleashed a left footed shot that curled just wide moments later.

But on 50 minutes Saints got the goal they had threatened with Lallana’s right wing cross comfortably headed home by Guly from six yards out for 2-0.

Thomas had a chance to narrow the deficit three minutes later but wanted too long before taking a shot and Jose Fonte made a good sliding block.

Chamberlain tried his luck at the other end with a low drive from distance that whistled wide of the near post.

Cheltenham enjoyed a little spell of pressure midway through the second half but Saints were still preventing them from creating anything of note in the final third.

Lallana almost killed the tie off though when his far post volley flew narrowly over the bar.

Cheltenham had rather optimistic appeals for a penalty turned down when Jeff Goulding backed into Fonte in the area and then went down.

Chamberlain so nearly added another goal for Saints when Harding slipped the ball through to play him in down the centre. He was through one-on-one and opted to shoot from the edge of the area but Scott Brown stayed big and made the save.

Cheltenham made a second change on 79 minutes with Michael Pook replacing David Bird.

Brown was in business again, turning over Lallana’s drive before Cheltenham made their final switch with Shaun Jeffers replacing Goulding.

Fonte got a booking for a foul which was costly as it was his fifth of the season and meant he would be banned for the trip to Hartlepool.

Gobern signed off a good return to the team with a goal with three minutes remaining when Lallana’s corner made his way to him at the far post and he looped a header back across goal into the opposite corner for 3-0 to confirm a comfortable Saints win.

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