Derby staged a quickfire comeback against Southampton with two excellent goals to retrieve a tie that looked lost and reaffirm their Premier League potential.
Frank Lampard was nearly celebrating victory with the last kick of the game too when David Nugent sent Jack Marriott clear, but the striker lifted his finish high into the stand behind.
So these two teams go to a replay, with Lampard once again emerging from a cup match against loftier opponents with credit.
Derby knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup in September and orchestrating a fightback from 2-0 down was impressive too. Ralph Hasenhuttl will be frustrated at having to contend with an extra fixture when the priority is Premier League survival. Particularly as his side looked well in control.
It took Southampton less than four minutes to take the lead. Shane Long flicked on a quick throw by Cedric Soares and Redmond cruised into the area and pulled the trigger on a low shot.
It was probably heading inside the far post – certainly past Kelle Roos – but Richard Keogh made sure with an attempted clearance that only drove the ball into the opposite corner.
Derby took until the 32nd minute to sweep away the sluggishness and create a chance. Southampton were sloppy in midfield and Craig Bryson snapped in to seize possession, then chanelled the ball to Jack Marriott, who checked round backtracking defenders and passed to Duane Holmes. Pushed slightly wide his finish lacked power and Angus Gunn held.
Dale Stephens somehow missed the ball from inside the six-yard box when James Ward-Prowse fizzed in a low cross.
Holmes continued a lively half by bursting clear of Ward-Prowse and then having the wherewithal to pick out Marriott and dart into space for the return. Marriott delivered the ball back and Holmes’s shot from the edge of the box went just wide.
If there was an element of doubt about who to credit with Southampton’s opener, Redmond made sure his name was on the scoresheet three minutes after the break.
He danced inside a couple of Derby challenges and ripped a brilliant strike into the far corner of the net that rendered Roos’s dive utterly redundant.
Derby had not offered much, so Southampton’s 2-0 lead looked secure. But it was blown away inside three minutes on the turn of the hour. Lampard’s side got back level with two superb goals.
First Tom Lawrence turned neatly and chipped a pass to Marriott, who took the invitation to shoot from just inside the box by unleashing a volley that flew past Gunn. It was the 24-year-old’s 10th goal of the campaign.
Then Derby put together a lightening counter attack as Bryson swept the ball to Lawrence, who sped into Southampton territory and set himself for a fierce long-range hit that swerved into the bottom corner.
Southampton had a couple of good opportunities to reclaim the lead. Charlie Austin found Mohamed Elyounoussi with a cross but the winger’s header was tame and Roos held. And Redmond knocked back to Ward-Prowse for an opening to shoot but he could not keep the ball down.
Martyn Waghorn connected well with a falling ball, forcing Gunn into a save. And Redmond drew a good stop from Roos with a finish from a tight angle, before Marriott missed a great chance.
