JAMES Ward-Prowse has urged Saints to atone for last season’s EFL Cup failures.

After Claude Puel’s side progressed to the last eight of the competition with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland at St Mary’s, Ward-Prowse senses an opportunity to win some silverware.

Saints were in the same position in the competition (then called the Capital One Cup) last term, but were smashed 6-1 by Liverpool in the quarter-final on an embarrassing night at St Mary’s.

“We’ve got to put it right,” he said. “You learn from that, but it’s exciting. We’ve got a lot of games coming up. Bring it on.”

“It’s a chance to win a trophy,” he added. “We want to be successful and win a trophy. It’s a great competition to do it in.

“We’re all clued up and we want to do well, so why not go and win it.”

Saints were drawn at Arsenal in the next round, which will take place on 29/30 November, after defeating perennial strugglers Sunderland thanks to a belting goal from £16m record signing Soifane Boufal.

“It was a hard game,” Ward-Prowse said. “Sunderland were always going to make it difficult for us.

“They’re fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Premier League and we needed to be aware of their desire to come and win the game.

“Sofiane created a bit of magic. It’s what the game needed and ultimately won us the game.”

“We knew it would be a tough battle,” he continued. “We knew it was probably going to be more a war than a football match.”

Ward-Prowse lined up alongside four fellow academy graduates from the start against the Black Cats.

Jack Stephens, Sam McQueen, Harrison Reed, Lloyd Isgrove started and, another Staplewood man, Olufela Olomola, was introduced in the first half after Jay Rodriguez was injured.

The inexperienced side laboured to victory. Ward-Prowse accepts that it was tough to play without a number of key players.

“It’s difficult because they don’t play as regularly, so they might not be aware of the roles and responsibilities in the system,” he said.

“But that’s our role as more senior lads to make sure that they’re clued in to what they’re doing.

“It’s part of the job and we have to make sure we do everything to help them.”

Rodriguez was substituted on 26 minutes and Sunderland managed to get a foothold on the game.

Ward-Prowse admitted that the striker’s departure from the game disrupted them.

“It’s difficult to lose a player if you’ve worked on team shape the day before,” he said. “Your plan goes out the window, but credit to Fela Olomola who came on and did his part.

“The team did well to stay in there and create the chances.”