Saints edged past Luton Town in the third round of the F.A Cup with a 1-0 win at St. Mary's.

Rickie Lambert's fantastic first half free-kick proved to be the difference in a keenly contested affair with the non-league side who made Saints work hard in a game which embraced the spirit of the famous competition.

An improved second half performance from the visitors briefly threatened to upset the odds, but the hosts saw out the game to progress into the fourth round at the expense of Richard Money's plucky team.

Saints: Davis, James, Perry, Thomas, Harding, Antonio (Paterson 65), Schneiderlin, Hammond (Lancashire 90), Lallana, Lambert, Papa Waigo (Gobern 86). Subs (not used): Bialkowski, Mills, Wotton, Holmes.

Luton: K. Pilkington, Asafu-Adjaye, Howells, G. Pilkington, Blackett, Nicholls (Gnapka 46), Hall, Jarvis, Newton (Watkins 72), Craddock, Gallen (Nwokeji 46). Subs (not used): Gore, Patrick, Lacey, White.

Referee: Mr. G. Ward (Surrey)

Attendance: 18,786 (including 3,017 away)

Alan Pardew was forced to shuffle his pack at St. Mary's as he was without Neal Trotman who had returned to Preston at the end of his loan spell, whilst fellow defender Aaron Martin was cup-tied.

Wayne Thomas joined Chris Perry in the centre of defence and Kelvin Davis earned a recall between the posts to face his former club after overcoming a groin injury.

Town in orange shirts, kicked off defending the Northam End with an early cup tie atmosphere inside St. Mary's as the visitors brought a large following from Bedfordshire for the occasion

The match showed early signs of a classic cup battle with both teams looking to take advantage in the game. Asa Hall and Tom Craddock linked up for Luton's first chance inside the opening five minutes which failed to test former Hatters stopper Kelvin Davis.

Saints went closest to an early breakthrough on eight minutes as Papa Waigo's cross from the left was met by Adam Lallana at the near post drawing a smart save from Kevin Pilkington.

Kevin Gallen flashed a shot wide before Morgan Schneidelrin fired a long range effort over at the other end in the 14th minute of play.

Michail Antonio drew another decent save from Pilkington five minutes later as he drilled a low drive towards the bottom corner which the goalkeeper stretched across to push away to safety.

A foul on Papa Waigo by Ed Asafu-Adjaye earned the Luton full back a yellow card as he brought the Senegalese forward down some 35 yards from goal. The distance didn't deter Rickie Lambert from taking a chance as he lined up an audacious attempt from range which Pilkington had to turn past the post in the 24th minute.

Saints kept up the pressure and went close from a short corner as Lambert flicked a low shot towards goal which somehow stayed out through some last ditch defending. Papa Waigo then headed Lloyd James' delicious looking centre narrowly over the top of the visitors' goal.

Alan Pardew's side took advantage in the 36th minute as Lambert went one better from a long range free-kick. His previous effort served as a warning and from this time from the right of centre 30 yards out, he struck a perfect shot into the top corner as Pilkington was finally beaten.

With a spring in their step, the hosts stepped up their search for another goal and Lallana almost paved the way for a second as he got in behind the Luton defence only to be denied by a save at his feet from the 'keeper.

The visitors tried to catch Saints on the counter-attack and were almost rewarded as Hall supplied Rossi Jarvis on the edge of the area. The midfielder hit a low shot around 18 yards out which Davis had to turn behind for a corner, but Saints looked in control as the half came to a close.

Half Time: Saints 1-0 Luton Town

Luton made a double substitution at half time with Kevin Gallen and Kevin Nicholls being replaced by Claude Gnapka and Mark Nwokeji but Saints flew out of the traps in the second half with Papa Waigo denied one on one by the legs of Pilkington straight from the re-start.

In the 49th minute the visitors went the closest they had come to a response in the game as substitute Mark Nwokeji burst through the middle and saw his shot blocked before Asa Hall followed up with a low drive which Davis had to push away with both hands as the ball screamed towards goal.

The arrival of Nwokeji and Gnapka brought the non-leaguers to life as the Hatters started to pose more of a threat in the final third, the latter's assist to the former on 56 led to a shot which just crept wide of Davis' left post.

Matthew Paterson replaced Michail Antonio on 65 minutes with the Reading loanee feeling the effects of an earlier foul. His replacement turned neatly on the left side with his first touch before finding Lambert, who couldn't quite get his angles right from the edge of the area as he tried to find the target.

After a brief lull in the match prior to the last quarter of an hour's play preceded Tom Craddock shooting wide from an angle, before Paterson went even closer at the other end with a firmly struck shot which was just off target.

Morgan Schneiderlin conceded a free-kick and entered referee Gavin Ward's notebook for a body check on halfway and from the resulting attack, Claude Gnapka headed on to the top of the net with a looping effort as the visitors sniffed out a comeback.

Gnapka again went close with a shot from distance inside the last five minutes as the game remained in the balance. Papa Waigo was replaced by Oscar Gobern to add some steel late in the game before skipper Dean Hammond made way for Oliver Lancashire for the final change of the match.

Luton were unable to get one last throw of the dice as a result, as Saints made it through unscathed

Full Time: Saints 1-0 Luton Town