MANY Saints fans have sensed that a trip to Cardiff on May 17 was set in stone right from the moment their team thrashed hated rivals Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in the Third Round of this year's competition.

That tie, played over the opening weekend in January saw the two Svenssons, Michael and Anders, score, as did Jo Tessem and James Beattie to embarrass Spurs, managed by ex-Saints boss Glenn Hoddle, in front of a prime-time BBC audience.

It wasn't so straightforward back in 1976, when Hughie Fisher's late, late goal salvaged a Third Round draw against Aston Villa at The Dell. Jim McCalliog's brace in the replay at Villa Park saw them win 2-1 against the Division One side.

For those superstitious footie fans who cling to such minutia when their side are seemingly on a date with destiny, there are parallels with the way Saints negotiated their 2003 Fourth Round tie.

Former Portsmouth player and manager Steve Claridge looked to have written a typical FA Cup storyline with Millwall's opener at St Mary's, but Kevin Davies struck in the 90th minute against the club he had recently been loaned out to. Matthew Oakley netted twice in a 2-1 replay success.

In the 1976 Fourth Round, Lawrie McMen-emy's men entertained fellow Second Division outfit Blackpool.

They won 3-1 thanks to a Mick Channon brace and a goal by Bobby Stokes who scored again in a 1-1 draw away to West Bromwich Albion, before a 4-0 demolition of the Baggies at The Dell. Channon bagged a hat-trick while Paul Gilchrist grabbed the other.

The 2003 squad were made to sweat in their Fifth Round home tie with Norwich City, with Paul McVeigh hitting the woodwork shortly before An-ders Svensson broke the stalemate.

Tessem added another to set up a quarter-final tie against another former manager - Wolves' Dave Jones.

Chris Marsden's acrobatic effort and a Paul Butler own goal eased Gordon Strachan's team through to their first semi-final for 17 years in front of a delirious St Mary's crowd.

One goal was enough to see off Fourth Division Bradford in the 1976 quarter-final. From a free kick, Peter Osgood flicked the ball up for McCalliog to volley the winner and silence the Bantams' fans. Saints were then handed the semi-final draw they wanted - against Third Division Crystal Palace - while champions Derby County took on Manchester United.

This year they faced Watford at Villa Park, while double winners Arsenal edged out a tough Sheffield United side.

Both semi-finals were tense affairs. In 1976 a Gilchrist goal and David Peach's penalty did the trick at Stamford Bridge.

Brett Ormerod was the hero last month, netting for the first time in 24 matches before playing a killer ball that was deflected in for an own goal with Beattie closing in. Marcus Gayle's consolation tested a few Saints nerves, but Watford failed to find an equaliser.

Manchester United's superstars were clear fav-ourites in the '76 final, but the pundits were confounded by Stokes' 82nd-minute winner. He latched onto McCalliog's through ball and found the far corner beyond Alec Stepney's dive.

Despite surrendering their league title, Arsenal will start favourites on Saturday, but Southampton do seem to enjoy underdog status.

And after losing the toss, they will again be wearing the same yellow and blue as on that glorious day in May in 1976, and again the opposition will wear red and white.

Such things may well prove significant.

Captain fantastic

CHRIS Marsden hopes to follow the 1976-cup winning skipper Peter Rodrigues into Saints folklore when he leads the team out at the Millennium Stadium.

Marsden is now in his 17th season as a professional having played for seven clubs before he joined Southampton in 1999 - Sheffield United, Huddersfield, Coventry (on loan), Wolves, Notts County, Stockport and Birmingham.

It was only when Dave Jones showed faith and brought him to The Dell for £800,000 that the midfielder's career really took off.

Marsden soon established himself in the Saints midfield, with his tough tackling, non-stop running and inspirational leadership.

The 34-year-old even pops up with the odd goal, like the opener in the quarter-final against Wolves, of which manager Gordon Strachan said: "It has taken him 17 years of hard work to score a goal in a quarter final. Top players like Michael Owen do it all the time but for Chris Marsden to work 17 years to get it; that's absolutely fantastic."