SAINTS cruised into the Southampton Senior Cup fourth round - after second-half hat-tricks for Marcus Barnes and Nathan Tella.

Head of football development Les Reed looked on alongside U23s coach Martin Hunter at Staplewood as Saints outclassed the Hampshire Premier League outfit.

Saints enjoyed a similar start to their 6-0 third-round win against BTC Southampton. They were 2-0 up within ten minutes as Will Wood and Armani Little headed in corners.

Then Saints number ten Will Smallbone scored twice in five minutes, lashing in the third across goal before passing the fourth into the far corner.

It would have been more had it not been for the athleticism of QK goalkeeper Lee Sainsbury, the son of the club’s manager.

He denied Smallbone a hat-trick by tipping a deflected strike away from the top corner on the stroke of half-time.

But there were eye-catching trebles for Tella and Barnes as Saints slipped through the gears after the break.

Winger Tella rounded Sainsbury beautifully before netting the fifth after a wonderful pass from left-back Wood.

Smallbone put a free header wide but Barnes rounded Sainsbury before netting the sixth from an acute angle.

Tempers frayed after Little slotted the seventh from Tella’s cross.

QK had to play the last half hour with ten men when Jordan Breen was sent off for an appalling two-footed tackle on Saints right-back Richard Bakary.

Both saves made changes following heated exchanges.

Saints sub Michael Obafemi was denied by Sainsbury before slotting the eighth midway through the second half.

Barnes made it nine with a left-footer into the far corner before Craig Johnston joined Joe Griggs in the book for a fouling the tricky Tella.

Little had a shot turned behind but Barnes took Saints into double figures with a sumptuous left-footer off the underside of the crossbar.

Tella stroked in the 11th and completed the scoring after Sainsbury’s save from Obafemi’s shot fell at his feet.

Sainsbury continued his heroics by keeping out a Wood free kick before Afolabi hit the post in the last minute.

Saints were very impressive but this was not the club's biggest win at Staplewood tonight - the U14s beat Eastleigh U15s 18-0.

Saints U23s: Latham, Bakary, Wood, Little, Cook, O’Connor, Tella, Rowthorn, Barnes, Smallbone (Obafemi 61), Hale (Afolabi 61).

QK Southampton: Sainsbury, Eagle (Ratchford 55), Griggs, Johnston, Hayes (61), Bourk,Craven, Breen, Monene, Drake (Hadzimbucu 69), Dwyer.