Southampton's miserable season was plummeting towards new depths until striker Egil Ostenstad struck 90 seconds into injury-time to salvage an FA Cup replay against Second Division leaders Fulham at the Dell.

Trailing to Steve Hayward's ninth-minute strike, the struggling Premiership side were reduced to 10 men when defender Ken Monkou was sent off with 20 minutes left.

Even though substitute Mark Hughes was denied a strong penalty claim by referee Dermot Gallagher, the subject of angry chants at the end by home fans, there was just time for Ostenstad's fortunate late equaliser. The Norwegian striker was lying on the floor when the farcical chance came to him after Fulham substitute Paul Trollope had inadvertently blocked team-mate Alan Neilson's intended clearance in the area.

But he still managed to volley the ball home to save the relegation-threatened Premiership side, who were already down to 10 men, from a third successive third round cup exit.

The match had always looked to have all the ingredients for an upset with the £20 million squad assembled at Fulham by chairman Mohamad Al-Fayed and manager Kevin Keegan having lost just four games all season.

In contrast, Southampton have won only three amid a desperate Premiership relegation fight and had not triumphed in a single FA Cup tie since February 1996, losing to Derby and Reading in their last two third round appearances. Fulham also proved their immense promise in September last year, when they knocked the Saints out of the Worthington Cup in the second round, with a 1-0 second leg win at Craven Cottage after a 1-1 draw at the Dell.

There was further writing on the wall with the news that talisman Matt Le Tissier and Stuart Ripley were ruled out through injury, while four-time FA Cup winner Hughes was left on the bench on his return from suspension.

And within 10 minutes, Keegan's side took the lead after £2 million signing Barry Hayles had crossed from the left to enable Geoff Horsfield to lay the ball back to 27-year-old Hayward. The midfielder, who joined Fulham in a £175,000 move from Carlisle in July 1997, easily turned marker Matthew Oakley and placed his shot past the despairing dive of Paul Jones and inside the right-hand upright.

Fulham continued to display far greater determination and effort than their Premiership opponents, with Hayles always a threat to a creaky Saints defence, weakened by the early loss of Claus Lundekvam through injury.

The home fans became increasingly frustrated with their side's ponderous approach work as a largely uninspired first-half progressed. They did have their half-chances but Hassan Kachloul's control let him down and then former Saints keeper Maik Taylor produced a fine reaction save to deny Egil Ostenstad as James Beattie went down claiming a penalty for a push.

Southampton began to show more adventure and purpose after the break, with Fulham being forced to man the barricades in defence and Jason Dodd shaving the post with a 20-yard drive. After Kachloul had headed another opening over the bar, Ostenstad's cross then picked out Beattie unmarked at the far post but his shot was blocked by a combination of Steve Finnan and Kit Symons.

Centre-forward Hughes was brought on after 65 minutes and was immediately in the thick of the action, just failing to pounce when Taylor spilled a free-kick from Kachloul. And Southampton's frustration at Gallagher's failure to award a penalty when Hughes went down under a challenge from Neil Smith had hardly subsided when the official sent off Monkou for a single offence, his foul on Brevett.

There were certainly nervous moments for Fulham as Taylor tipped a Kachloul free-kick over the bar and then spilled a cross. But they looked to have secured a famous victory until Ostenstad struck with only seconds left to play.

The Saints still have to survive the replay at Craven Cottage though.

Teams:

Southampton: Jones, Hiley, Colleter, Palmer, Monkou, Lundekvam (Monk 20), Dodd, Oakley (Hughes 66), Ostenstad, Beattie, Kachloul.

Subs Not Used: Basham, Bridge, Stensgaard.

Sent Off: Monkou (70).

Booked: Palmer.

Goals: Ostenstad 89.

Fulham: Taylor, Finnan, Brevett, Neilson, Coleman, Symons, Hayward, Bracewell (Collins 66), Horsfield (Trollope 89), Smith, Hayles (Lehmann 75).

Subs Not Used: Uhlenbeek, Arendse.

Booked: Symons, Hayward, Horsfield.

Goals: Hayward 9.

Att: 12,549

Ref: D Gallagher (Banbury).