FORGET all the talk of the giants versus the minnows – things are now a little more straightforward on the south coast these days.

In simple terms, equality was established inside St Mary’s Stadium last night.

Of course, Dean Court is unlikely to ever match Southampton’s nine-year-old home. Eddie Mitchell, too, will surely never have the funds of opposite number Markus Liebherr.

So, Southampton Football Club wins the material game as well as winning this match. But Cherries emerged victorious when it comes to the things that matter to the supporters who packed out St Mary’s last night: Passion, belief, spirit and playing the game in the right way.

The Saints faithful won’t like it, but the truth is they are now on a par with the ‘little’ seaside club down the A31.

Aside from Adam Lallana, whose 63rd-minute curler all but settled this pulsating cup tie, Saints offered very little to suggest they are favourites for League One promotion this term. The half-time boos told their own story.

Cherries, of course, are no world beaters either, but Howe’s men proved they can mix it with one of the so-called 'big' clubs of the third tier and erased any lingering worries of what might become of this season with a first-half performance full of endeavour.

Howe made two changes to the side that went down 1-0 at Charlton on Saturday, with Harry Arter and Lee Bradbury dropping to the bench and Stephen Purches and Ryan Garry coming into the starting 11.

Saints striker Rickie Lambert, meanwhile, had to make do with a place on the bench after missing Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Plymouth at St Mary’s. Former Cherries loanee Lallana, however, was restored to Alan Pardew’s starting line-up after impressing as a substitute against Argyle.

Howe could have been forgiven for fearing a repeat performance of Saturday’s calamitous opening 30 minutes that, ultimately, cost Cherries any real chance of a point at the Valley.

But while it was Saints who bossed the opening 10 minutes, Howe’s men looked far more composed at the back compared with their panicky showing in SE7.

Lallana went closest during those opening exchanges but his weak header was palmed away for a corner by Shwan Jalal, while Rhoys Wiggins had to be on his toes to clear the danger under pressure from Alex Chamberlain moments later.

Jalal then saved well down to his left from Jason Puncheon’s 12th-minute snapshot, before Liam Feeney watched as his left foot drive on the turn narrowly flashed past Kelvin Davis’s post.

That moment alone appeared to galvanise the 4,000-strong visiting support and the players responded.

Marc Pugh, in particular, looked a real threat down the left against Danny Butterfield, but it was Pitman’s cross from that flank that handed Feeney a second chance to open the scoring after 22 minutes, the former Salisbury man’s header looping over the bar.

Pitman then got in on the act when his 37th-minute free kick was deflected over the top, before the Cherries striker almost opened his account for the season with a right-foot drive across Davis’s goal just a minute later.

It was all Cherries and the more frustrated the home side got, the more airborne the football became. In the technical area, Pardew shook his head.

Puncheon felt the full force of 4,000 sides splitting when his control let him down six minutes before the break, but Chamberlain almost had the last laugh two minutes before half-time, Jalal’s outstretched left hand the only thing denying Saints from breaking the deadlock.

Pugh’s cross from the left was tipped on to the bar by Davis as Cherries responded immediately, before referee Phil Crossley handed Pardew’s rattled side some much-needed half-time respite.

Like the first half, it was the hosts who started the second with the most intent. Shaun Cooper was called upon to clear off the line after Paul Wotton’s 56th-minute header looked destined for the top corner.

And it was Lallana who turned Saints’ possession into a lead eight minutes later, his curling effort from 25 yards leaving Jalal with little chance.

The former Littledown Junior almost doubled his tally 19 minutes from time, but his left foot effort flashed past the upright.

Despite Michael Symes’s second-half introduction, Howe will be desperate for his other striking options to return from their respective injuries. Pitman was, like at the Valley on Saturday, too isolated in the lone striker role.

The Channel Islander did test Davis with a rasping 30-yard strike eight minutes from time, but the Saints keeper was equal to it. The tie, though, was put beyond Howe’s men four minutes later.

Jalal rushed from his goalmouth in an attempt to smother Chamberlain, who had latched on to substitute Lambert’s neat lay-off, but the Cherries keeper was left sprawled on the turf as the St Mary’s youth graduate slotted the ball into an empty net.

Second half to the home side, yes. But Cherries will be able to take a whole lot more from this than their ‘giant’ neighbours.

Saints (4-4-2): Davis; Butterfield, Fonte, Seaborne, Dickson (Harding h-t); Puncheon, Wotton, Hammond, Lallana (Holmes, 79); Barnard (Lambert, 84), Chamberlain.

Unused subs: Martin, Mills, Garrod, Bialkowski.

Booked: Hammond.

Cherries: (4-1-4-1) Jalal; Purches, Garry (Bradbury, 75), Pearce, Wiggins; Cooper (Hollands, 58); Feeney, Robinson, Bartley (Symes, 66), Pugh; Pitman.

Unused subs: Cummings, Arter, McQuoid, Thomas (g/k).

Referee: Phil Crossley (Kent).

Attendance: 17,135 (inc 4,068 away fans).