Football news - Ings at the double as Saints cruise past Portsmouth

Danny Ings scored twice as Southampton ensured a derby clash with Portsmouth resulted in nothing more than a routine victory.

The two South Coast sides had not met in seven years - both their clashes in the Championship ended in draws - meaning Southampton came into the game having not beaten their local rivals since 2005.

Ralph Hasenhuettl made wholesale changes and set Southampton up in an attacking 4-3-3 to counter Pompey. It worked perfectly and, after weathering early pressure from Portsmouth, Ings popped up with two superb goals.

The first for Southampton was all about Ings, who made space for himself on the edge of the area with a fabulous touch and drop of the shoulder, then sweeping the ball past Craig MacGillivray. Southampton’s continuous counterattacking was quickly rewarded when Michael Obafemi slid in a perfect pass through the defence to Ings, who slotted past the helpless Portsmouth goalkeeper.

Portsmouth started brightly in the first 15 minutes and put Southampton under sustained pressure, but couldn’t take any of their early chances. Southampton grew in confidence and their superiority shone through with moments of quality for their first and second goals.

Portsmouth were always susceptible on the break having no choice but to find a goal in the knockout tie, and let frustrations get the better of them. But, despite the atmosphere and the occasion, only one yellow card was shown apiece in a relatively clean encounter thanks to a referee happy to let the play go.

Cédric Soares put the match beyond Portsmouth on 77 minutes, and Nathan Redmond completed the rout on 87 minutes with a solo goal from outside the box. Kenny Jackett will be under intense pressure with also only one win in Portsmouth’s League One campaign, while Southampton, Hasenhuettl, Ings and co will make the short trip back to Southampton in high spirits.

Ralph Hasenhuettl got it spot on and his players duly delivered, Ings in particular.

A brace in a south coast derby to add to his East Lancashire and Merseyside derby goals, the perfect evening. Ings’s touch to set up his first was superb, and was clinical for his second.

Portsmouth: MacGillivray 5, Bolton 5, Hawkins 5, Burgess 6, Haunstrup 6, Naylor 6, Close 5, Williams 5, Pitman 7, Curtis 6, Marquis 6 Subs: Downing 5, McCrorie 5, Evans 5.

Southampton: McCarthy 7, Cedric 7, Bednarek 7, Yoshida 7, Bertrand 6, Romeu 7, Johbjerg 7, Ward-Prowse 7, Ings 9, Obafemi 7, Adams 7 Subs: Redmond 7, Long 6

20’ - GOAL! Fabulous first touch on the edge of the area picking up a loose ball from a Saints counter, and creates the space to side-foot the ball past a defender and goalkeeper MacGillivray from the edge of the box.

43’ - GOAL! Ings has two! Wonderful counter from Southampton and wonderful ball from Obafemi putting Ings through who slots past a helpless MacGillivray. Crikey.

76’ - GOAL! Cedric dashes in to pick up a loose ball from Ings down the left, and lashes it in past MacGillivray. Game over.

86’ - GOAL! Redmond, off the bench, picks up the ball in midfield after Southampton play out from the back, drives through unchallenged to the edge of the box and smashes one past MacGillivray's right inside the left-hand post.