DAVID MCGOLDRICK fired Saints to a third FA Youth Cup quarter-final in three years with a late winner against ten-man Bolton Wanderers last night.

Twenty-nine goal McGoldrick booked Saints a last-eight tie away to Crystal Palace with his 78th-minute strike at the Lancashire Football Association's HQ in Leyland, near Preston. The former Notts County youngster delighted several Saints fans in a 365 crowd that included Bolton boss Sam Allardyce and Matthew Mills, whose younger brother Joseph was on the Southampton bench.

McGoldrick curled the only goal of the match into the bottom right corner from 18 yards following a slide rule pass from captain Lloyd James, whose distribution was excellent all night.

Saints goalkeeper Zac Jones, on loan from nearby Blackburn Rovers, kept his side in the game when he tipped a 29th-minute 20-yard strike from left winger Nathan Woolfe over the cross bar.

And only an excellent tackle from the outstanding Gareth Bale prevented Bolton going ahead in the 38th minute. Bolton striker James

Sinclair was clean through on goal after turning past Saints centre back Oliver Lancashire, but Bale read the situation perfectly before executing a well-timed challenge in the penalty area.

Left back Bale had earlier provided chances for McGoldrick and Southampton schoolboy Jamie White, who headed over the bar, and Saints went on to dominate the second half.

Midfielder James curled a 20-yard free kick against the angle of post and cross bar after Adam Lallana had been felled, and in the 70th minute an outstanding save from

Bolton goalkeeper Prezemslaw Kazimierizak denied McGoldrick. The Pole produced a save that his compatriot Bartosz Bialkowski would be proud of when he flung himself to his right.

But within a minute the home side were down to ten men. Right back Blazej Augustin was sent off for a second bookable offence, a foul on Josh Dutton-Black, directly in front of the Bolton dug out.

The 18-year-old , a powerful six-footer, body-checked the Saints winger but his dismissal infuriated the Bolton bench.

Seven minutes later, Saints capitalised through McGoldrick's fifth FA Youth Cup goal of the season and the 18-ear-old went close to a second late on.

McGoldrick and White, a pupil at Woodlands School, Harefield, fired 25-yard howitzers over the bar and in injury time a James corner was tipped away by Kazimierczak.

Saints will play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on a date yet to be arranged that will be before February 18.

They have already beaten the South London outfit 7-1 this season and another win would mean a two-legged semi-final against Liverpool or Carlisle next month.

Saints: Jones, Hatch, Lancashire, Thomson, Bale, White, Baseya, James (c), Dutton-Black, Lallana, McGoldrick. Subs not used: Speight, Douglas (gk), Byrne, Mills, Stocks.

Read tonight's Pink for Academy director Huw Jennings's verdict on the fifth-round win, and for an interview with last night's man of the match Gareth Bale.