RALPH Hasenhuttl praised the performances of his talented youngsters as Saints saw off Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup.

A first senior goal for the club for Dan N'Lundulu got the ball rolling before captain James Ward-Prowse arrowed in a late free-kick to seal a 2-0 success.

The win books a spot in the fourth round against Arsenal on Saturday.

Hasenhuttl also gave debuts to teenagers Kegs Chauke and Caleb Watts from the off, as well as first starts of the season for full-backs Jake Vokins and Yan Valery. Alex Jankewitz and Ryan Finnigan were introduced for their senior bows as late substitutes.

Asked for his assessment of the performances from his youngsters, Hasenhuttl said: "We played against a League One team and it was a good moment for them to step into the team.

"We tried to give them the chance to show up and I think they did okay. They were a little bit nervous at the beginning but I think after five or 10 minutes you could see they really wanted to play.

"They had a clear plan of what we want to do, how we want to play and finally when Dan N’Lundulu scores it’s good for the young lads. Caleb did some good dribbling, Vokins, it was not the first game for him but he’s comfortable on the left side and Kegs after the first minutes was okay.

"He showed that he can play football and he’s calm on the ball."

Hasenhuttl also acknowledged the effort put in by Shrewsbury, who were in action for the first time since December after coronavirus swept through their squad.

One man affected by COVID-19 was Shrews boss Steve Cotterill, who was absent from St Mary's as he continues to recover in hospital.

"It was a tough situation for them coming here after a long break," Hasenhuttl said of Shrewsbury.

"They did a good job, they defended with everything they had, they were very motivated and hopefully their manager is on his way back out of hospital and we wish him the best.

"I hope he is coming back to health and beats the virus. This is the most important thing for me."