Valentine's Day is just over a week away but Kyle Walker-Peters felt the love early on Saturday as Southampton squeezed through to the FA Cup fifth round.
The full back was the unlikely matchwinner as the Premier League side needed extra-time to edge past an impressive Coventry City team – who will rue their fortune at St Mary’s.
In a gripping tie, the Championship outfit had the better of the chances but bowed out courtesy of Walker-Peters’ deflected strike which squirmed beyond the dive of goalkeeper Simon Moore and into the bottom corner.
Coventry have Premier League promotion aspirations this season and, on this evidence, manager Mark Robins will fancy their chances of securing a play-off berth. On another day they would be celebrating a famous fourth-round win – in a game that had drama until the last minute as substitute Martyn Waghorn saw a last-minute extra-time equaliser ruled out for offside.
Before the match the atmosphere was electric at a sold-out St. Mary's. A brass band played the Motown classic September by Earth, Wind and Fire. And Coventry certainly had the wind in their sails as they made a sizzling start on the south coast.
Within seconds they nearly took when Viktor Gyokeres ran on to a ball down the left-hand channel. With centre back Jack Stephens in pursuit, the striker easily slipped past the Saints defender before whipping a dangerous ball across the box towards Callum O’Hare – who it just evaded.
It was an early warning for a disjointed Southampton side who made 10 changes for this FA Cup tie, with only James Ward-Prowse retained from the side which drew with Manchester City in the Premier League before the winter break.
And the lack of cohesion was evident just a minute later as Josh Eccles was allowed to drive with the ball up to the edge of the Saints box before forcing a smart low save from goalkeeper Willy Caballero.
It took 12 minutes for Saints to show any real quality and it started from set-piece specialist Ward-Prowse. The England international rolled a corner into the near post which found Adam Armstrong. The striker’s clever flick found Theo Walcott whose first-time shot forced Simon Moore into a fine stop – his only one of note in the first half.
That was as good as it got for Southampton who sported a special limited edition white strip to help raise awareness and funds for the club’s ‘Saints Foundation’ charity which is celebrating its 20-year anniversary. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side certainly played like the visitors with their alternate strip as Coventry continued to dominate.
Thierry Small was making his debut at left-wing back for Southampton and it was one nearly to forget for the teenager, who came close to heading into his own net from a Jake Bidwell cross. Fortunately for the 17-year-old though, Caballero was alert to catch the ball.
Coventry’s front three of O’Hare, Gyokeres and Ian Maatsen were purring - constantly linking beautifully and causing the hosts’ defence problems. On 21 minutes O’Hare, whose ability to dribble with the ball is akin to Jack Grealish, slalomed his way forward before playing in Gyokeres. However, the striker couldn’t sort his feet out and the chance went begging.
Gyokeres atoned for that though just seconds later to give Coventry the lead. Running forward he played a smart one-two with Ben Sheaf, who was celebrating his 24th birthday, before rolling the ball past Caballero - to the delight of the jubilant away support.
It was nothing less than what they deserved with Southampton below-par. Matters were compounded on the half-hour mark for Saints as Lyanco pulled up with a hamstring injury. That saw Hasenhuttl change shape from a 3-4-3 to a 4-4-2 with substitute Nathan Redmond going to left midfield and Small shifting to left back, with Armstrong and Shane Long up top.
The change of formation didn’t alter the momentum though as Coventry continued to dominate. Maatsen volleyed over with a brilliant first-time effort from a corner on 36 minutes. Two minutes later he fired just wide after Eccles found him on the edge of the box, after a strong run down the right-hand side.
Boos rang out at half-time as the home supporters voiced their displeasure at what they saw.
Hasenhuttl’s mood must have echoed that too as his side were vastly improved after the interval. Small and Armstrong were hooked at half-time for Kyle Walker-Peters and Stuart Armstrong. It brought an immediate improvement with Southampton marching forward and getting the crowd on side.
Coventry still posed a threat though and Gyokeres wasted a glorious chance on the counter-attack when played through on goal. Unable to race clear his shot was eventually blocked by Jan Valery.
Valery turned from defensive hero to assist maker as Armstrong equalised with a strike befitting the FA Cup final, rather than the fourth-round. Collecting a simple pass from Valery, he took one touch before blasting a strike into the top corner from 25 yards out. St Mary’s, which had been bubbling, duly erupted.
Despite pressure from the Saints, they were unable to find a winner in normal time as Coventry continued to cause problems of their own. Extra-time followed and events didn’t spark into life until the final seven minutes of it.
First Walker-Peters scored courtesy of a deflection off Sky Blues’ captain Mark Robins to see the hosts lead.
Waghorn then headed wide, in what looked to be the last chance for Coventry, before he then put the ball into the back of the net. However, he was offside as he steered Todd Kane’s effort in – to the pandemonium and relief of the home support.
The Saints go marching on, but only just.
That noise was only bettered when Walker-Peters scored in the second half of extra-time and then Waghorn’s goal ruled out for offside.