Shane Long has fired Southampton into a narrow 1-0 half-time lead over Ipswich Town in tonight's third-round FA Cup replay at Portman Road.
Long broke the deadlock on 19 minutes to put the Saints in position to edge out their Championship counterparts en route to the fourth round.
Ipswich started marginally the better of both sides, with Noel Hunt's disallowed goal on five minutes the only talking point in an otherwise tepid opening quarter.
It was another Irishman in Long who legitimately opened the scoring, as the Saints hitman pounced on a loose ball before instinctively tapping home at the near post.
Ronald Koeman's side grew further into the clash from that point on, and it was almost two when James Ward-Prowse's deflected effort shaved the crossbar on 27 minutes.
David McGoldrick could, and perhaps should, have done better with a chance late in the first half after going for goal from an acute angle, but the visitors held on for a slender advantage at the break.
