JAKE Hesketh said he wanted to make his case for a return to Saints and then fired Burton Albion into the semi-final of the Carabao Cup.

Hesketh’s 48th minute goal was enough to see off Championship side Middlesbrough on their own turf last night.

The 22-year-old is currently on loan with Albion until January, but recently hinted at a possible return to St Mary’s.

And with Ralph Hasenhuttl in the Saints dugout, Hesketh was determined to catch the Austrian’s eye.

Hesketh said: “It’s nice to know they are watching because as much as I want to impress people here and prove myself to everyone, the people at Southampton are the people I probably want to impress the most.

“That’s the team I ultimately want to get into.

“Whenever the time comes that I go back, I want to impress the new manager and put a case forward to be in his team.”

Nigel Clough’s Albion side went into last night’s quarter-final clash against

Middlesbrough as underdogs and almost went behind in the opening exchanges.

The unmarked Jordan Hugill came within inches of putting the home team ahead when he failed to reach Martin Braithwaite’s sixth-minute cross.

Burton keeper Bradley Collins then had to produce a fine reaction save to deny Lewis Wing.

Clough’s side tested keeper Darren Randolph for the first time, although not to any great extent, when defender Ben Turner got his head to Scott Fraser’s back-post cross.

Middlesbrough were made to pay for an untidy start to the second half as Hesketh broke the deadlock.

After Jamie Allen’s strike had hit the post, the Saints loanee recovered from a slip to fire the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Hesketh was eventually taken off with nine minutes remaining when he was replaced by Ben Fox.

Aden Flint came agonisingly close to finding an equaliser for Boro in the 83rd minute when he got on the end of a cross in Burton’s box, but his effort went wide.

Clough punched the air in jubilation upon hearing the sound of the final whistle.

He then proceeded to run onto the pitch to celebrate with his players in front of the away end.

Hesketh’s goal booked his side’s place in the semi-final for the first time in their history and then admitted it’s an evening he won’t forget.

Hesketh said: “This is the best Tuesday night of my life.”