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McKenzie nets but Saints march through

Leon McKenzie scored his first goal for the club but Charlton's miserable week continued at St Mary's as they exited the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, 2-1 to Southampton.

Having been dumped out the FA Cup by non-league minnows Northwich Victoria on Sunday it was the turn of the club's former boss Alan Pardew to lead the Saints into the area semi-finals.

Wayne Thomas opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, bundling home his first goal for the club after a corner bounced across the six-yard box.

And top scorer Rickie Lambert sealed their passage through after 63 minutes, watching his shot from the edge of the box squirm past Carl Ikeme and in.

Sub McKenzie grabbed a last-gasp consolation for the hosts, converting a terrific curling cross from fellow replacement, debut maker Luke Holden.

It was too little, too late, however, and the Addicks can now concentrate solely on life in League One for the rest of the season having departed their third knock-out competition of the season on a rainy night on the south coast.

Manager Phil Parkinson wanted a reaction after Sunday's sorry performance in Cheshire, and there was far more bite to his side from the opening exchanges against the Saints.

But it was the hosts, with Lambert and the diminutive David Connolly a threat up front for most of the evening, who asked the majority of the early attacking questions.

Having said that, Charlton had begun to attain a foothold in the game in the second half of the half, only to concede at a corner when a Lloyd James cross was allowed to bounce across the box for Thomas to score his first goal in four years.

Ikeme tipped a Michail Antonio shot against the post soon afterwards, with the winger denied near the line in the aftermath by Grant Basey.

Saints did score again just past the hour mark as Lambert made it a dozen goals for the Saints - and a baker's dozen for the season.

If you don't buy a ticket you can't win the raffle, or so they say, and the big striker did just that as he took aim from the edge of the box more in hope than expectation.

Such efforts are always worthwhile in skiddy conditions underfoot, and so it proved as the shot seemingly reared up and past Ikeme and nestled in the back of the net.

To their credit, Charlton pressed for a way back into the game and sub Deon Burton sent a low cross from David Mooney over the bar.

Then, after a fine passage of play on the right in injury time, Holden curled in a fine cross and McKenzie stole in to score.

But time was against the Addicks and there was scarcely a chance to build up a head of steam as the final whistle sounded moments later.

In terms of team news Charlton manager Parkinson made six changes. Following the club's harrowing FA Cup exit at Northwich Victoria on Sunday, there was a first start in Addicks colours for striker Mooney, on loan from Reading until January.

A second loan signing, Ikeme, returned in goal, and there were changes at the back as Kelly Youga switched to right-back, Basey came in on the left and Miguel Llera partnered Christian Dailly in the centre of defence.

Lloyd Sam switched to the left flank to accommodate youngster Scott Wagstaff wide on the right and Matt Spring came into the central midfield unit.

The match marked Parkinson's 50th at the Addicks helm and in a quirky twist of fate the man in the opposite dugout was the man he replaced in charge of Charlton, Pardew.

Still smarting from the shock FA Cup defeat at the Victoria Ground, Parkinson was looking for an improved performance from his side.

Mooney, who had jumped off the bench three times since joining the club, got his chance to impress up front and teenager Jonjo Shelvey, who scored at Southampton in a 3-2 Championship win late last season, supported from midfield.

With an eye on the key League One match against Milton Keynes at The Valley on Saturday, Frazer Richardson and Sam Sodje were not risked defensively.

Ikeme replaced Darren Randolph between the posts while Elliot Omozusi also made way from the backline.

With Basey coming in on the left, Youga, the only Addick to start every game this season, moved across to the right, a position he occupied for much of his loan spell at Scunthorpe United a couple of seasons ago.

Spaniard Llera was back alongside former Saint and skipper for the night Dailly in central defence, while skipper Nicky Bailey took a breather from midfield as Parkinson made more changes.

Therry Racon was also absent as Spring partnered Jose Semedo in central midfield, with Sam and Wagstaff supplying the width.

Randolph was joined on the bench by Omozusi and strikers McKenzie and Burton. And the reserves were completed by winger Holden, on loan from Welsh side Rhyl, and a player who featured in the Champions League for his parent club this season.

The Saints made just one change from their Friday night win against Bristol Rovers with Bartosz Bialkowski replacing Kelvin Davis between the posts.

Winger Adam Lallana netted for the Saints in the 1-1 League One draw between the two sides at The Valley in September.

Unbeaten in seven games as Pardew has put his side into positive equity in the league, the Saints boasted the formidable striking talent of Lambert up front. Hereford United, Norwich City and MK Dons all reached the area semi-finals last night and Charlton were hoping to join them in Saturday morning's draw.

Just two minutes had elapsed when Saints forced the first corner of the game - and fashioned the first chance.

After Ikeme couldn't get to the flag-kick, skipper Dean Hammond connected with a downward header at the far post that bounced just over the bar.

Hammond stretched to put another half-volley over the bar for the hosts soon afterwards.

There was already plenty of commitment from the visitors in the early stages, and Semedo slid in twice to make important interventions.

Lallana headed over for the hosts after a clipped centre from Connolly on 11 minutes was just a little too high and moments later the nippy Antonio bamboozled Spring on the right and the Addicks were in trouble.

Ikeme parried out the winger's fizzing low centre out, but only to Lambert. The frontman unselfishly opted to tee up a teammate instead of having a crack, and Youga got across to make a brilliant sliding block.

The Frenchman then won another challenge in the aftermath as the visitors lived to fight another day.

Charlton, content to play on the break in the opening stanza, had their first effort at goal on 22 minutes.

Llera's delightful crossfield ball sat up nicely for Mooney down the middle, and the Irishman checked back before feeding Wagstaff to his right.

The winger cut inside but his shot took a big deflection off a defender and allowed Bialkowski to save low.

Lambert curled a free-kick over from range a minute later and Spring's effort from the edge of the box looped behind off a defender.

Charlton were starting to come into the game at this stage with Shelvey dropping noticeably deeper to pick up possession and Mooney's intelligent running was certainly giving the Saints rearguard plenty to think about.

But having forced a foothold in the game, the visitors were breached from a set-piece in the 33rd minute as Southampton took the lead.

Connolly had forced a corner on the right, dashing onto a Lambert flick and seeing his effort skew behind off a defender.

Lloyd James took the corner and as the ball bounced across the box centre-back Thomas reacted quickest to turn the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

Connolly curled a shot inches wide of the left upright soon afterwards as the Saints sensed blood.

And they almost grabbed a second six minutes before the break.

Antonio wriggled into a shooting position on the right side of the areas and his low swerving cross was palmed onto the right hand post by Ikeme.

The ball skidded across goal and was eventually turned back in, amid heated penalty claims for the hosts.

Antonio connected again second time round but Basey was well placed to clear his effort away from close to the line.

Pardew was furious after Lallana went down under pressure from Youga in the box in the next attack, while Mooney slipped under Radhi Jaidi's challenge at the other end and referee Paul Taylor shook his head again.

That was the last significant action of the half and when the match resumed Pardew sent on Neal Trotman for Morgan Schneiderlin.

The newcomer slotted in at centre-back with Thomas moving to the right and Lloyd James switching into central midfield.

There were loud appeals for a foul by Basey on Antonio in a one-on-one dual on the right turned down, and Charlton had their first sniff of the second half seven minutes in.

Sam centred from the left and Wagstaff had peeled away to get into a heading position. The winger opted to head back across goal and Mooney could not connect in the middle as the ball bounced behind.

There were more loud shouts for a penalty after the Saints broke away on the left and a pull-back reached Lambert only for the striker to be foiled by a desperate defensive block.

Again Taylor disagreed and Holden replaced Sam 11 minutes in to make his Addicks debut with Papa Waigo N'Diaye coming on for the hosts shortly afterwards.

Spring dragged a shot wide of the right upright for Charlton while N'Diaye had space to get in a shot at the other end on the hour that was tipped behind by Ikeme.

As the ball squirted loose at the corner, Lallana, stationed at the edge of the box, saw his effort deflected behind.

Mooney's shot from a narrow angle was batted away at his near post by Bialkowski but the Saints doubled their lead on 63 minutes.

Lambert was the man on target, shifting into space on the edge of the box and letting fly with a shot that bounced over the sprawling Ikeme and in.

Burton replaced Semedo midway through the half and McKenzie came on for Wagstaff moments later

After tussling with Lambert as he bore down on goal Dailly - the pair were so close they were almost dancing - was booked after a good advantage from Taylor.

Burton slid in to turn a low Mooney cross over the bar 13 minutes from time and when McKenzie tumbled in the box after a cross from Spring, Holden shot wildly back across goal and wide.

But the winger did make a mark on his debut, whipping in a centre in added time that was turned home by McKenzie.

Sadly for the visitors, there was little time for a late wave, and it's the Saints that go marching on in the competition with Charlton suffering a third successive defeat in three different competitions.

Charlton: Ikeme; Youga, Basey, Llera, Dailly; Wagstaff (McKenzie 68), Semedo (Burton 67), Spring, Shelvey, Sam (Holden 56); Mooney.

Subs (not used): Randolph, Omozusi.

Goals: McKenzie 90

Booking: Dailly 72 (foul on Lambert)

Southampton: Bialkowski; James, Harding, Thomas, Jaidi; Antonio (Mellis 82), Hammond, Schneiderlin (Trotman 46), Lallana; Connolly (N'Diaye 58), Lambert.

Subs (not used): Davis, Mills.

Goals: Thomas 33, Lambert 63

Ref: P Taylor

Att: 13,906

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