Ross Stewart scored a dramatic injury-time penalty as Championship side Southampton booked their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in four years with a nervy win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The substitute rifled a penalty past Benjamin Lecomte shortly after the 90-minute mark to claim a hard-fought victory against their Premier League opponents, extending their unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions.

Southampton's lifeline came in the blink of an eye as referee Jarred Gillett immediately pointed to the penalty spot after Finn Azaz was brought down inside the box by Joachim Andersen.

Stewart, who suffered an Achilles injury at Craven Cottage in 2023 while playing for Sunderland, thumped his spot-kick inside the left post to put Tonda Eckert's resurgent side into the final eight.

The Cottagers had been controversially denied a 19th-minute opener after Daniel Peretz's goal-kick struck team-mate Ryan Manning's back and fell into the path of Rodrigo Muniz, who stabbed the ball into an empty net.

But Gillett had already blown his whistle before the ball had crossed the line, adjudging that the ball was still moving when Peretz had taken the goal-kick.

Fulham boss Marco Silva had made nine changes to his side, hoping to get a tune out of some of his fringe players following Wednesday's 1-0 loss to relegation-battlers West Ham United in the Premier League.

Both sides started brightly, with Fulham's Oscar Bobb finding the target first through a whipped shot towards the bottom corner, but Peretz equal to it.

Leo Scienza was the liveliest in Southampton's attack, dancing his way through Fulham's defensive line and firing just wide of the post.

Fulham also had a second goal disallowed in the 54th minute when the offside flag shot up against Andersen, who had headed the ball down from a free-kick to goalscorer Timothy Castagne, but was clearly in an offside position.

The penalty decision proved to be all that was needed for Southampton, who have staged a remarkable turnaround under head coach Eckert since November.

The club were 21st in the Championship when the German took over, but are pushing for the play-offs and now into the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Fulham analysis: Cottagers on the wrong side of a smash and grab

Silva's decision to make nine changes to his starting XI could have been viewed in two ways pre-match: bold or questionable.

Fulham are sat mid-table in the Premier League with no threat of relegation, so the FA Cup presented a real opportunity to pursue silverware after their quarter-final Carabao Cup exit back in December.

But Silva ultimately picked a team that were not used to playing together, and it wasn't a lack of effort they were missing, it was a lack of quality.

It didn't feel like a smash and grab for Southampton during the match, but the stats tell a different tale.

The Cottagers registered 24 shots in total and six shots on target, finding the back of the net twice through Muniz and Castagne, while Saints registered just five shots in total and three shots on target.

But offside goals do not win games and this was an all too familiar ending for Fulham, who lost to Newcastle in that Carabao Cup quarter-final following Lewis Miley's 92nd-minute winner.

Given the potential prize on offer this was surely more painful for Silva's side, who were hoping to reach back-to-back FA Cup quarter-finals - and possibly dreaming of some silverware. (BBC)

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