Ryan Fraser bags brace as Southampton ease past Walsall
Posted Sunday, January 07, 2024 by PA
Ryan Fraser had a hand in three goals as Southampton swatted aside League Two Walsall in the FA Cup with a professional 4-0 victory.
Winger Fraser produced two fine finishes and set up Sekou Mara as Saints eased to a 19th match unbeaten – one off a club record 20 games without a loss in all competitions.
Che Adams jumped off the bench to slide in a fourth to confirm Southampton’s progress to the fourth round and avoid a copy of last year’s exit to fourth-tier opposition.
Saints grabbed the lead in the sixth minute through Fraser and it felt like Walsall were in for a battering.
Newcastle loanee Fraser’s run off the left flank was spotted by centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis and the former Bournemouth man fired in.
Mara headed a free header over from teenage debutant Jayden Meghoma’s cross before Carlos Alcaraz and Sam Amo-Ameyaw tried their luck from range without accuracy.
The barrage on the Saddlers’ goal continued as French striker Mara blazed over from six yards when presented with an open goal.
But Walsall weathered that storm and found chances of their own.
Tom Knowles out-thought Meghoma before lashing wide and Isaac Hutchinson tested Joe Lumley from the edge of the area, although a pass to Douglas James-Taylor on the overlap might have been a better option.
Will Smallbone should have hit the target when teed up by Fraser while Walsall keeper Jackson Smith recovered just before Mara tapped in after he had parried Alcaraz’s piledriver.
The Saddlers came out for the second half with renewed confidence having kept their Championship promotion rivals to just one and twice caught out the lackadaisical hosts.
Knowles picked up Mason Holgate’s wayward throw-in but he smashed over on the angle before Holgate’s loose pass was nicked by Jack Earing but he curled a one-on-one wide.
They were made to rue those misses when Mara made it 2-0 to calm any fears of last season’s exit to Grimsby.
The France Under-21 international swivelled and found the roof of the net after fine wing play from Fraser in the 58th minute for his fourth goal since arriving at the beginning of last season.
Fraser killed off any chance of an upset in the 68th minute when he brilliantly slotted into the bottom corner after being slid through by Alcaraz.
James-Taylor arrowed a shot towards the bottom corner but Lumley prevented the start of a comeback before Adams made it four.
The striker showed strength after being laid on by Alcaraz before displaying his finishing ability to slot past Smith.
Fraser almost completed a hat-trick in stoppage time but Smith blocked his drilled shot.
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