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Two goals in added time from James Bree and Cameron Archer earned Southampton their first win of the season as they secured a 5-3 triumph at Cardiff City Stadium.
Bree’s 30-yard screamer was the fourth time the Premier League side had gone ahead and then Archer’s second added an extra bit of security at the end of a superb Carabao Cup second-round match.
Three times Cardiff had hit back to level and the game was hanging in the balance as the referee ordered five minutes of added time. That was enough for Bree to notch his first goal for the club and Archer to grab his second.
Mateus Fernandes started paying back some of the £15million fee Southampton paid to bring him to St Mary’s from the Portuguese top-flight with a goal on his full debut. The 20-year-old striker, signed from Sporting on 20 August having played on loan at Estoril last season, scored in the 10th minute to kick-start a goalfest.
Both managers made 11 changes from their weekend outings as youth was given its chance to shine in each line-up. Russell Martin gave first starts for the club to Fernandes, Archer, Charlie Taylor and Lesley Ugochukwu.
Southampton enjoyed 71 per cent possession in the first half and put it to good use. The 18-year-old Sam Amo-Ameyaw added a second before the break but only after Rubin Colwill had hit the target with a 30-yard screamer.
Cardiff equalised at the start of the second half when Joe Lumley parried a cross from the right by Raheem Conte into defender Ronnie Edwards for an own goal, but then Archer conjured up his first goal for the club to make it 3-2 to Saints.
A minute later Colwill, playing with real fire in front of on-looking Wales manager Craig Bellamy, curled in a cross to the far post for Conte to head down to enable Alex Robertson to volley home his first goal for his new club to level things up at 3-3 in the 56th minute.
Two goals in added time settled the matter and sent the Saints marching into the third round.
