SAINTS missed out on a place in the last 16 of the FA Youth Cup as they were knocked out 1-0 by Watford at St Mary's tonight.

The visitors' margin of victory could have been a lot greater had it not been for goalkeeper Andrej Pernecky.

The 17 year-old Slovakian, who was the star of the show for Saints in the third round win against Derby, frustrated the visitors time and time again with a series of fine saves.

But Watford eventually found a way through when they grabbed the all-important and, in fairness, deserved winner 15 minutes from time to book their spot in the fifth round.

After a couple of early, promising-looking Saints attacks Watford posed the first real threat when Kurtney Brooks ended a slick counter-attack by curling over from 25 yards.

Matthew Whichelow did the same shortly after with a powerful strike from the same distance.

Saints' pace down the flanks, provided by captain Kayne McLaggon and 16-year-old Daryl McLean, looked like a potentially profitable route to goal.

And it almost proved to be the case when Wales U19 international McLaggon latched onto Oscar Gobern's raking pass but fired straight at Jonathan North, after cutting in off the left flank.

Saints had an even better chance to go ahead soon after but Tom Dunford fluffed his lines in front of goal, after McLaggon crossed to the Isle of Wight youngster following Ryan Doble's crowd-pleasing back heel.

Then tempers flared midway through half when Gobern was involved in an altercation with Watford defender Eddie Oshodi.

And despite showing the referee the battle scars on his back following their sliding challenge in midfield, Gobern was booked for his reaction, a push on the Watford man.

As the momentum swung back Watford's way as the half drew to a close Pernecky was called into action twice in quick succession.

He got down sharply to deny Brooks from close range before bettering that with a smothering, one-on-one stop to deny William Gibson.

And the theme of Pernecky keeping out the visitors continued in the second half.

His first two saves from Colin Penny and Mingoia were routine but the 17 year-old needed all of his agility to deny striker Marvin Sordell, a former Fulham youth team colleague of Saints pair McLean and Lukas Stiklakis, ten minutes into the half.

Watford's top scorer this season, who netted twice in the previous round, unleashed a thunderbolt drive from outside the box that was bound for the net until Pernecky thrust up a strong arm to turn it away.

The lively Whichelow also went close from long range twice, while Stiklakis then denied William Gibson with a superb diving block.

The visitors' continued to push for a goal they eventually found a way past Pernecky and his defenders with 15 minutes left when first-year scholar Oshodi, who turns 17 tomorrow, just beat the Saints keeper to Mingoia's cross and flicked a header into the net.

McLaggon came within inches of forcing extra-time for Saints but his attempt to divert Dunford's header past North, with a flick-header, was just too high.

And that was as close as Saints came to getting back into the game as their Youth Cup hopes ended for another season.