Ormerod hits form for Saints

Southampton manager Gordon Strachan praised striker Brett Ormerod after his three goals helped destroy Tranmere in the Worthington Cup second round match at St Mary’s Stadium.

Ormerod also hit a post as the Barclaycard Premiership outfit thrashed Second Division Tranmere 6-1.

Tranmere threatened only briefly, equalising through Graham Allen after 21 minutes but once Southampton had got into their stride only goalkeeper Phil Whitehead stood between them and double figures.

Chris Marsden, Fabrice Fernandes and Michael Svensson also scored for the Saints.

And Strachan said afterwards: “Brett was fully focused – and I was delighted that he scored a hat-trick.

“It is fair to say he could have had many more but it has got him started.

“He scored three for the reserves last week and has worked hard to get into the first team.”

Derby endured a miserable night as they went down 2-1 to Second Division Oldham after extra time at Pride Park.

The Rams struggled to assert themselves throughout but managed to force their noses in front when Danny Higginbotham struck from the spot after a foul on Izale McLeod in the 17th minute.

Yet their joy was short-lived as David Eyres struck with a good first-time shot to level the scores within a minute.

Eyres could then have won the game during the regulation 90 minutes but Mart Poom did well to save his free-kick.

It was Poom however who cost his side the game when he first brought Clint Hill down for the winning penalty which Clyde Wijnhard converted in the 95th minute.

The Estonian then left his side to play out the final 15 minutes with 10 men after being sent off when a handball outside the area was deemed a second bookable offence.

Coventry and Crystal Palace both found their goalscoring touch as they cruised into the third round with emphatic wins.

Gary McSheffrey led the Coventry procession with a hat-trick as the Sky Blues put hapless Rushden and Diamonds to the sword with a crushing 8-0 win at Highfield Road.

It was a record defeat for Third Division Diamonds, who also had two men sent off to compound their misery.

McSheffrey opened the scoring after just 10 minutes before Diamonds keeper Billy Turley blundered to gift Danny Mills the second.

Diamonds then completely lost their way as defender Barry Hunter was shown the red card for the third time this season and McSheffrey and Mills both struck again before half-time.

McSheffrey’s third came six minutes into the second half before Jay Bothroyd came off the bench to add two more either side of a Robert Betts penalty.

Betts had struck from the spot after John Dempster deliberately handled to become the second man of the night to be sent off.

Palace went through after a second-half blitz at Selhurst Park comprehensively accounted for Division Two strugglers Cheltenham.

Dele Adebola’s first goal for the Eagles, after Dougie Freedman’s long-range shot had been parried by Steve Book, was all Palace had to show for their efforts at half-time.

But Trevor Francis’ side stepped up a gear after break to cruise to a 7-0 win.

Hayden Mullins, Tony Popovic and Freedman put the result beyond all doubt before Adebola bagged a second and Richard Walker put through his own goal. Freedman completed the scoring with his second of the night in the last minute.

Nottingham Forest came unstuck on their own patch as they crashed out 2-1 to Walsall at the City Ground.

Two goals in the space of three minutes midway through the first half were enough to send the Saddlers through at the expense of a side seven points above them in the First Division table.

Jorge Leitao drilled home the first with 21 minutes on the clock before Brazilian forward Junior followed up with a left-footed effort.

David Johnson’s 13th goal in as many games gave the home side a 79th-minute lifeline but Walsall held on.

Leicester scraped through by the skin off their teeth after a dramatic late equaliser took Sheffield Wednesday to extra time at Hillsborough.

The Owls dominated for most of the game and could have been 3-0 up had Gerald Sibon converted the two good chances which followed his deserved 32nd-minute opener.

Despite Matt Elliott striking a post, Leicester struggled to gain a footing until Muzzy Izzet managed to tuck home an injury-time free-kick.

The 20-yard strike deflated the Owls and they went on to lose 2-1 after Trevor Benjamin bagged the Foxes’ winner in the 98th minute.