Report: Bree fires Saints into Carabao Cup quarter-finals

First-half goals from Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who headed home a corner, and Adam Armstrong, who scored from the penalty spot, had Saints sitting pretty with the whistle approaching at the end of a dominant opening period.

But Ashley Phillips’s clever flick gave the visitors hope at the break, and Tom Cannon’s smart finish wiped out Saints’ lead nine minutes into the second half to leave St Mary’s in shock.

The hosts found it tough to assert quite the same control thereafter, and only a crucial last-ditch clearance from Yukinari Sugawara denied Stoke a late winner of their own before Bree, who scored in spectacular fashion in stoppage time at Cardiff, struck again from long range to settle the tie with two minutes to go, sending Saints through to the quarter-finals.

Russell Martin promised a strong team and settled on six changes to his side, as Premier League mainstays Aaron Ramsdale, Jan Bednarek and Harwood-Bellis kept their places at the back, while Mateus Fernandes and Cameron Archer continued in attack.

Championship strugglers Stoke made eight alterations themselves, coming into the game on a four-match winless run.

Saints enjoyed plenty of early control, finding space down the sides of the Stoke defence, as Fernandes saw a cross claimed by goalkeeper Jack Bonham before Armstrong’s delivery was cleared only to the edge of the box where Joe Aribo was primed to shoot, forcing a decent first save of the game 10 minutes in.

At the other end Aaron Ramsdale’s only touches were with his feet before Saints edged in front from a set-piece, as goal-hungry Harwood-Bellis scored his third header of the season from Fernandes’s far-post corner, rising highest to find the net from no more than four yards out.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis rises highest to head Saints in front

Saints might have doubled the lead on 27 minutes when Sugawara’s brilliant first-time pass released Armstrong down the inside-right channel. With the angle against him, the striker went for power but drove the ball straight at Bonham who stood his ground to repel the danger.

But Armstrong would not have to wait much longer to get off the mark for the season. Again the energetic Sugawara was involved, refusing to give up having initially been dispossessed by Jaden Dixon; sticking to his task, reclaiming possession in the box and causing Dixon to panic, as the Stoke man rashly stuck out a leg to bring down the Japanese international.

Up stepped Armstrong to confidently send Bonham the wrong way and leave Saints in cruise control 10 minutes before the break.

Watching from the stands after totting up three yellow cards this season, Martin would have to relay the message to send on Maxwel Cornet a little earlier than planned, as Ryan Fraser hobbled off soon after the penalty, visibly nursing an injury.

Just as the manager was preparing to give his players a pat on the back for a dominant first half, Saints contrived to concede in the final minute.

After Lesley Ugochuwku was penalised for a sliding challenge, Eric Bocat swung in a hopeful free-kick that took a series of deflections before Phillips improvised impressively to score with a clever backheel from close range.

The goal back may have injected fresh belief into the visitors, but Saints remained firmly on the front foot at the start of the second period until Ugochukwu’s tackle ran kindly into the path of Tatsuki Seko, for whom space opened up.

The midfielder carried the ball purposefully towards the penalty area, finding Junior Tchamadeu to his right, whose shot deflected off Bree and dropped kindly for Cannon, who still had work to do but finished well to find the roof of the net with his left foot from an awkward angle.

Adam Armstrong celebrates with Mateus Fernandes after scoring from the spot

Saints responded with a free-kick from Fernandes met by Archer on the penalty spot, whose header dropped wide, before a crunching challenge from Ugochukwu prompted an angry reaction from Tchamadeu. When Armstrong stepped in, he was the Saint cautioned.

Further changes arrived at the second half’s midpoint, as Martin sent on Paul Onuachu and Ben Brereton Díaz, saving the legs of Archer and Fernandes, as the prospect of penalties suddenly felt likely for the first time in the tie.

The arrival of Brereton Díaz shifted Cornet to the right, where he instantly seemed to be having more joy, twice crossing from the byline as a mass of black-shirted defenders smuggled the ball to safety.

Kamaldeen Sulemana and Sam Amo-Ameyaw were introduced inside the final 10 minutes to try to unlock the door, but Onuachu headed wide from a Kamaldeen cross as time ticked on.

But the alarm bells were ringing when Stoke substitute Million Manhoef burst through with five minutes left. Ramsdale advanced and blocked the ball but it bounced back off the Dutchman and trickled goalwards, only for Sugawara to rescue Saints with a heroic goal-line clearance.

Perhaps that was the jolt the hosts needed, as moments later Bree decided the tie in spectacular fashion.

Set up by Kamaldeen, the defender took a touch out of his feet and hit an unerring low shot from 20 yards to beat Bonham down by his right-hand post and secure Saints’ place in the last eight.

Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek (Kamaldeen 81), Bree, Ugochukwu, Aribo, Fernandes (Brereton Díaz 67), Armstrong (c) (Amo-Ameyaw 81), Archer (Onuachu 67), Fraser (Cornet 37).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Stephens, Wood, Taylor.

Goals: Harwood-Bellis (19’), Armstrong (35’ pen), Bree (88’).

Booked: Armstrong, Cornet.

Stoke City: Bonham, Tchamadeu, Phillips, Rose, Dixon, Bocat (Burger 84), Vidigal (Manhoef 71), Thompson (c), Seko, Sidibe (Moran 71), Cannon (Koumas 60).

Unused substitutes: Fielding, Anderson, Giani, Tezgel, Ennis.

Goals: Phillips (45’), Cannon (54’).

Booked: Tchamadeu.

Referee: Lewis Smith.

Attendance: 16,092.