Marsden keeps Saints on path to glory

Southampton 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

The chill wind whipping off the Solent hardly evoked the fabled long, hot summer of 1976, but at St Mary's yesterday everyone's mind was on a sunny May day that year. Southampton may have been in the top flight for a quarter of a century but not since the late Bobby Stokes upset Manchester United 27 years ago have they been in the FA Cup final. Now they are only a match away from a long-awaited return and, potentially, a first European campaign for nearly two decades.

To the chagrin of David Jones, his Wolves team were broken by a streaky goal from Chris Marsden, arguably his finest signing when Saints manager. His 55th-minute strike opened up a previously dour match and made possible the clinching second, a late own goal by Paul Butler.

"I've laid him out and now I'm going to burn his house down," joked Jones. He added: "I'm pleased for him but he's Gordon [Strachan]'s player now."

Strachan, a Cup winner with Manchester United in 1985, said: "I'm very, very, very happy. We deserved to win. We tried to play, defied the wind and the pitch and put more thought into our play in the second half."

The first period could best be filed under "uneventful". Combining old knowledge and fresh research, Jones had organised his team well. Two lines of old gold were drawn up across the worn St Mary's pitch and Saints were invited to break them down. Despite the inclusion of Anders Svensson and Fabrice Fernandes in midfield they struggled to do so, not least because Wolves' eagerness to counter-attack left them loath to push forward in numbers.

Nevertheless it was the visitors, despite missing the suspended Paul Ince and injured George Ndah, two of the key figures in their Cup run, who had the better chances. Kenny Miller put an early overhead kick wide, Mark Kennedy's low shot drew a good save from Antti Niemi, and both Shaun Newton and the otherwise impressive Colin Cameron wasted opportunities on the break.

With Beattie constrained by Joleon Lescott and Butler, Southampton had offered little but two stray headers from the persevering Marsden. Beattie's formidable physical presence was bound, though, to make an impact at some stage and five minutes after the restart he headed a Fernandes cross just over after a short corner routine.

That incident unnerved Wolves whose goalkeeper, Matt Murray, had been caught flapping. Five minutes later Michael Svensson flicked on another corner, Marsden essayed an overhead kick and Murray, distracted by Beattie, allowed the ball to bobble in.

Though Kennedy did bring a save from Niemi, Wolves, as Jones admitted, "never recovered from that goal". Their mood further deepened when their talented midfielder Keith Andrews was carried off with a suspected broken leg.

Southampton increasingly dominated and Lescott was fortunate to escape after 70 minutes when his tackle sent Ormerod tumbling in the area after he had allowed the flaxen-haired striker to skip past him. Eleven minutes later his partner was unluckier. Jo Tessem, who had scored with his first touch as a late substitute against Norwich in the previous round, was sent on and immediately went down the right flank. Beattie, who should have scored, miskicked but the ball cannoned off Butler's shin and thence inside the far post. Wolves' attempt to reach a first final in 43 years was over.

Bring on the Arsenal? Strachan admitted he would prefer another Nationwide League opponent but, as one of the four English teams to have beaten Arsenal's senior team this season Saints may not even fear the holders. They do have a history of giant-killing in these parts.

Goals: Marsden (55) 1-0; Butler (og, 81) 2-0.

Southampton (4-4-2): Niemi; Dodd, Lundekvam, M Svensson, Bridge; Fernandes, Oakley, A Svensson (Tessem, 78), Marsden; Beattie (Davies, 90), Ormerod. Substitutes not used: Jones (gk), Williams, Higginbottom.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-4-2): Murray; Irwin, Lescott, Butler, Naylor; Newton (Sturridge, 75), Cameron, Andrews (Rae, 60), Kennedy; Blake (Proudlock, 85), Miller. Substitutes not used: Oakes (gk), Clyde.

Referee: A D'Urso (Billericay).

Booked: Southampton: Beattie. Wolverhampton Wanderers: Blake.

Man of the match: Marsden.

Attendance: 31,715.