Romain Perraud scored either side of half-time as Southampton survived a fightback from Championship wrestlers Blackpool to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
Perraud, from a set piece in the absence of captain James Ward-Prowse, broke the deadlock with a hard-hitting effort into the far corner midway through the first half.
The 25-year-old left-back doubled his and Saints’ tally just after the hour mark, collecting Sekou Mara’s return pass before finishing confidently past goalkeeper Chris Maxwell.
Blackpool, playing their first game under new manager Mick McCarthytwice nearly canceled Perraud’s opener, but Jerry Yates and Ian Poveda failed to seize the good opportunities.
Charlie Patino, on loan from Arsenal, converted Yates’ pass to reduce the backlog with just under 25 minutes to play, but Nathan Jones’ side held on.
“We were in control at 2-0 but sometimes we don’t do the basics well,” Jones told BBC Sport afterwards. “We caused our own problems.
“Overall we were good, but today we probably made it harder for ourselves.”
The Saints, through to the fifth round for the third time in four seasons, will discover their opponents in the draw on Monday, January 30.
Saints survive a nervous finish
Comfortable Winners on Nottingham Forest in the previous turnBlackpool limited Southampton to a few early opportunities but will be disappointed with the way Saints opened the scoring – which McCarthy described as an “absolute disgrace” in his post-match interview with BBC Sport.
Mislav Orsic, who stood above the free-kick alongside Perraud, produced a dummy that appeared to catch Maxwell off guard, allowing his team-mate to slam the ball through the Seasiders wall into the corner.
The Frenchman is the first player other than James Ward-Prowse to score a direct free kick for the club since Cedric Soares against Manchester United in December 2018.
“Today I was lucky to be clinical,” Perraud, whose four goals this season have all been at St Mary’s, told BBC Sport.
“It’s never easy to play against this type of team. The FA Cup is a tough competition, but it’s another stage and it feels good for us.”
The visitors responded well to Perraud’s opener and were denied a first-half equalizer when Caballero made a fingertip save to deny Yates, who was unmarked by the pass from Poveda.
Some over-relaxed Southampton defenders gave Poveda a free run at goal early in the second half, but Caballero stood tall to save his effort before watching the follow-up Blackpool striker sail away from the far post.
Perraud’s second of the game appeared to end the Seasiders’ hopes of a second straight win over Premier League opposition, but McCarthy’s side refused to give up and pulled a goal back when Patino powered through the square pass from Yates into the net from deep inside the box.
The visitors applied heavy pressure in the closing stages but were unable to make the most of a flurry of corners in second-half stoppage time.
Despite his side’s patchy performance, Jones will be delighted to find their way back to winning ways after back-to-back 1-0 defeats and can now turn his attention to the Saints. Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle on Tuesday.
