Midfielder Adam Clayton missed out on the trip to St Mary's having struggled with headaches and illness for most of the previous week, so Marc Bridge-Wilkinson kept his place on the right of a midfield four with Ben Marshall on the left.

Danny Livesey came back into the back four to cover the significant Saints aerial threat with David Raven stepping down to the bench. Jason Price came through training with flying colours to also take a place among the substitutes.

A quick ball forward from Bridge-Wilkinson found Madine in space for the first attack of the day, and his flick found Dobie in support. He spread it to Marshall but his attempt to play Taiwo through was easy for the Saints to clear.

Antonio cut back inside at the other end and his clipped cross had to be watched by Livesey, just in front of his own goal, as Lambert came in from wide.

Dobie and Madine combined again on 6 minutes but the young forward was wayward with his long shot from distance.

Ian Harte showed good awareness a minute later when Lallana raced onto a ball through the middle. The reliable United defender cut across to shepherd it away for a corner. Adam Collin came off his line to punch that away,

The dangerous Rickie Lambert found himself with a bit of space with his back to goal inside the penalty box, but it was a tight angle and his low shot curled wide with Collin beaten.

Dean Hammond should have done better on 16 minutes when Otsemobor slid a pass through to him on the edge of the Carlisle box. He tried to place it but he couldn't find the angle and the effort bent wide.

Richard Keogh then found himself first to the ball from a Bridge-Wilkinson corner but he couldn't direct his header at the goal and it was well wide in the end.

Lambert was left unmarked at the back post on 27 minutes when a flighted Antonio cross slowly made its way towards him. He had an age to weigh his options up and he went for precision, but succeeded only in stabbing his volley past the upright.

N'Diaye wasted a good chance on 31 minutes when a neat pass from midfield set Antonio clear on the right flank. He picked out the flamboyant striker but he went for an elaborate touch and volley that was always rising high.

Carlisle were giving as good as they were getting and a Harte free kick on 33 minutes somehow went all the way through to Keogh. He beat his man but his left foot grass cutter crept wide of the post.

A great cross from Keogh five minutes before the break had Harding stretching and it flew over Ben Marshall as he came across his man. Dobie got a touch but it was difficult to control and Davis gratefully gathered.

Danny Livesey did well to block an N'Diaye shot as the pressure mounted on the United goal, but the defences were breached on 45 minutes when Antonio ran in at the far post to thunder home an unstoppable volley following a patient build-up.

But the Cumbrians were back on level terms in time added on when Ian Harte made it 18 for the season with a wonderful 19-yard free kick that smashed into the top corner.

Half Time: Southampton 1 - 1 United

The Saints were back in front within seconds of the restart when Lambert once more peeled away at the far post. He watched the cross onto his boot and calmly placed it into the back of the net via the upright.

It was suddenly a mountain to climb for the visitors on 52 minutes when Antonio was given two bites of the cherry inside the Carlisle box. His first shot was blocked, but Lambert recovered it and immediately sent it back towards the big wide man. He took a touch and picked his shot with a powerful drive that Collin could do nothing about.

An incisive run from Bridge-Wilkinson took him into the Saints half and a block tackle from Harding set the ball up nicely for Madine. He miscued his shot though and it spun away from the target.

Lambert almost added to the tally on 64 minutes with a snap-shot that had Collin staring in anguish. Fortunately for him it whipped wide by a matter of inches.

N'Diaye missed an open goal from a tight angle on 69 minutes as the Saints kept pushing forward, and Ian Harte had to leave the field on 70 minutes to make things tougher for Carlisle as he struggled with a niggling groin problem.

A bizarre back pass on 75 minutes forced Davis to handle and the free kick, from just 10 yards out, was well defended as both Dobie and Raven were foiled.

The Saints were happy to sit deep with their two-goal lead and hit Carlisle on the break, and Lallana was greedy on 86 minutes when he should have cut the ball back. Barnard was waiting, but the nippy forward tried to claim the glory for himself.

Barnard then leaned back and lofted a poor shot over the bar, and Gary Madine squeezed the last kick off the game into the back of the net off Harding to give his side brief hope, but the home side stayed tight to add another three home points to their total.

Goals

Southampton - Antonio (45, 52), Lambert (46)

United - Harte (45 + 1), Madine (90 + 4)

Bookings

Southampton - Davis (75)

United - Horwood (74)

Teams

Southampton - Davis, Otsemobor, Fonte, Seaborne, Harding, Antonio (McNish 67), Hammond, Puncheon (Connolly 80), Lallana, N'Diaye, Lambert (Barnard 80). Subs (not used) - Bialkowski, Perry, Wotton, Chamberlain.

Carlisle United - Collin, Keogh, Livesey (Raven 67), Harte (Kane 70), Horwood, Bridge-Wilkinson (Price 63), Taiwo, Thirlwell, Marshall, Dobie, Madine. Subs (not used) - Pidgeley, Kavanagh, Rothery, Bowman.

Away fans - 411