Saints' promising youngsters came of age as they ended the club's 21-year wait to reach the semi-finals of The Times FA Youth Cup.

A battling display of character and courage saw Southampton overcome a highy talented Crewe side and the treacherous conditions to reach the last four of the competition for the first time since 1979.

After winning away at Everton and Chelsea, Crewe had genuine hopes of winning the trophy and were backed by a noisy crowd of 3,312 despite the driving wind and rain.

Those who braved the cold and damp were rewarded with a cracking cup-tie which was a fine advert for youth football as two evenly-matched sides played the game the right way on a sodden surface.

Saints caught Crewe by surprise with an adventurous 4-3-3 formation throwing hot Aussie prospect Scott McDonald up front in place of the injured Brian Howard who failed a morning fitness test on an ankle.

And their enterprise was rewarded after just five minutes when the ball squirted into the path of Adam Wallace who burst through the inside right channel to lash in from 15 yards. The keeper got to it but could only help the ball into the net.

That stung the home side who drew three top class reflex saves in four minutes from Alan Blayney. The first two were angled blasts by Matthew Blake and the third and best was a point-blank range block from Carl Frost. The shot was too hot to hold but the loose ball bounced back into his arms off Mark Graham.

Blayney was beaten on 24 minutes by Dean Ashton's 30-yard dipping shot which caught in the wind but smacked against the bar and then Wallace sent a twisting header against the woodwork at the other end.

Saints though defended strongly with Aussie Mark Graham and Stephen Gray reading the game well in the centre, strongly supported on the left by first-year Will Halliwell and on the right by Chris Baird who looks a real prospect.

Just in front of them Steve Grimshaw dogged it between England Under-16 international Matt Davies, pushed forward into midfield, and Ryan Ashford who again showed excellent distribution before fading in the final 15 minutes.

And up front Saints had great movement as Wallace, McDonald and Matt Huxley interchanged to drag the defence all over the place.

With the wind behind them in the second half the Railwaymen steamed forward and Blayney again saved well from a strong sidefoot by Ian Jeffs before the pressure told on 67 minutes.

David Vaughan whipped in a good free-kick from the left and Dean Ashton was left free to volley in first-time from six yards.

Saints could easily have settled for a replay but they came back strongly and Davies was just wide from 18 yards after goalkeeper Louis Whiting had flapped at a cross.

Huxley hit the bar from 20 yards before Stewart Henderson's side won it on 83 minutes as Davies skipped past highly-rated defender Gareth Liddle to the left of goal. Again the power beat the keeper who could not keep it out.

Even then Crewe almost levelled. Ashton curled a 20-yarder against the left-hand post and then Baird chested off the line from a half-hit shot by Ian Jeffs in a goalmouth scramble.

Saints have been forced to change the date of their reserve match against Nottingham Forest. Originally scheduled for next Wednesday, February 23 the match has been brought forward 24 hours to Tuesday, kick-off 7pm at Staplewood.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.