CAPTAIN Jack Stephens believes Saints got the "next best thing" after they forced an FA Cup replay against Watford on Sunday.

Stephens, who turned 30 on Saturday, played a full 90 minutes in defence as Southampton secured a 1-1 draw thanks to Stuart Armstrong's late equaliser.

Russell Martin elected to name a heavily rotated side at Vicarage Road as only Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Che Adams kept their place in the starting lineup.

Asked by the Daily Echo if Southampton's raft of changes could explain their slow start, Stephens replied: “Maybe.

"I don’t think we started particularly slowly. We played some nice stuff. We probably conceded a few too many turnovers and a few too many counterattacks.

“I don’t think we were particularly poor. Maybe the changes took a little while to get used to playing again.

“But the goal that we conceded is a free-kick that shouldn’t have been a free-kick. Any team can concede a free-kick, we aren’t too disappointed with that.

“We grew into the game and got stronger and stronger, there was only one team that was going to win the game towards the end.

“We couldn’t quite get the second goal but we will take it - we equalised late on which is the next best thing.

"We are still in with a chance of going through to the next round.”

Daily Echo: Southampton's Jack Stephens during the Championship match between Southampton and Swansea City at St Mary's Stadium. Photo by Stuart Martin.

Having introduced youngster Sam Amo-Ameyaw for fellow teenager Jayden Meghoma, Martin chose to swap to a back three.

That switch in system allowed Saints to be more attacking as they refused to allow their unbeaten run to end in the cup.

Amo-Ameyaw played as a makeshift right wingback while goalscorer Armstrong filled in on the left side.

"I don’t know about it being unnatural for them, but it was definitely unnatural for me playing at left-back,” Stephens smiled when asked about the late formation change.

“When you are 1-0 down you have to go for it. The manager made the change. That’s a credit to him for doing it and to the players for taking things on board.

“We had to go for it. If we lose 2-0 to a counterattack because of that then you have to put your hands up. I was really happy with the second half performance.”

Southampton will face Liverpool in the fifth round should they manage to beat Watford in a replay at St Mary's.

Fourth round replays are scheduled to take place during the week commencing Monday, February 5.

Stephens insisted facing Jurgen Klopp's Reds is an exciting prospect during a season where promotion back to the Premier League is the primary aim.

“That is where we want to be every week - testing ourselves against the best teams.

“We were doing that for a good few years but we had the disappointment of going down last year.

“We are looking to bounce back and play those teams every week. Now we have an opportunity to play Liverpool if we get through.

“If we do go through, we will attack it with everything we have got and we won’t change our approach."