Report: Derby County 2-2 Saints

Nathan Redmond’s double, with goals at the start of each half, looked like they may be enough to see off the Rams, but a quickfire double in the second period from Jack Marriott and Tom Lawrence means the sides will head back to St Mary’s.

Ralph Hasenhüttl made six changes to the side that earned a valuable Premier League point at Chelsea on Wednesday night, handing a Southampton debut to midfielder Callum Slattery.

There was also a first place in the senior squad for Marcus Barnes which took the total of Academy graduates in the group to eight.

Frank Lampard also gave opportunities to three Derby Academy graduates, with Max Bird, Max Lowe and Jayden Bogle all coming in to his starting XI. Those were among six changes as Tom Lawrence returned to the side having missed the last four games through injury.

In the opening exchanges, it was Saints who looked to establish control by pressing high up the pitch and they got their reward after just four minutes.

Redmond found space on the edge of the area, before firing a low, left-footed shot across goal which was heading into the far corner before being diverted past Kelle Roos by a stretching Richard Keogh.

In the immediate aftermath of that strike, there were few clear-cut chances. Indeed, it wasn’t until Slattery fed the ball to wide to Cédric on the right and he opened up his body to deliver a deep cross for Shane Long to head just over after beating Jayden Bogle either side had threatened.

Derby did begin to respond and fashioned their first opportunity on 24 minutes, when Lawrence dispossessed Jack Stephens and Max Lowe drilled the ball across the face of goal and wide.

Not long after, the Rams looked to be in when Marriott drove at the heart of Saints’ back four and steadied himself to find Duane Holmes, only for the diminutive attacking midfielder’s effort to be comfortably saved by Angus Gunn at the near post.

The visitors were next to test resolve and went agonisingly close to a doubling their lead when James Ward-Prowse’s low, inviting cross somehow evaded Stephens at the back post and went out.

At the other end, Holmes was again providing a threat when he picked up the ball and showed good stretch to slip through a crowd of bodies, before playing a one-two with Marriott and sending a curling right-footed inches wide.

The start to the first-half was impressive, but the start to the second was equally emphatic as Redmond doubled his and Saints’ tally for the afternoon on 48 minutes.

The winger drifted in off the left before shifting the ball on to his right-foot and curling a superb effort past a rooted Roos.

However, there was to be a twist in the tale. Lampard introduced David Nugent in place of youngster Max Bird in search of a goal back and a few minutes later he had just that.

Lawrence’s flick around the corner helped set up Marriott, who clinically volleyed home his 10th goal of the campaign into the far corner. Three minutes later and Lawrence levelled when he found space and sent an unstoppable right-footed drive past Gunn.

Frustrated but far from floored by that spell, Saints responded with a huge chance for Mohamed Elyounoussi. Charlie Austin sent an arching cross around the defence and straight on to the head of the unmarked Norwegian international, only for his header to be directed straight at Roos.

With 18 minutes left on the clock, Hasenhüttl handed 22-year-old Barnes a debut off the bench in place of Elyounoussi.

Both sides pushed and asked questions in search of an elusive winner. Redmond beat Bogle down the left before being blocked off inside the box by substitute Martyn Waghorn, with the penalty appeals turned away.

Then Roos was forced into action by the Birmingham-born winger when Ward-Prowse slipped a through ball in behind, seeing the resulting shot pushed out for a corner.

There was a scare right before the final whistle, when Nugent squared the ball to Marriott, who couldn't keep his shot down under pressure from Jannik Vestergaard. All to play for back on the south coast.

Head to Head Stats

• Possession (%)
  50

  50
• Shots
  10

  12
• Shots on target
  4

  6
• Corners
  1

  4
• Passes Complete
  270

  265