A determined fightback saw Blues land a place in the Carling Cup third round thanks to a 2-1 victory over Southampton at St. Mary's.

Despite having gone behind early in the second half to a superb Adam Lallana strike - and echoes of a possible repeat of the second round exit at the hands of the Saints last season - Alex McLeish's charges responded in great fashion and goals from the midfield duo of Lee Bowyer and Lee Carsley earned a place in the hat and sent the travelling faithful back home up the A34 happy.

A trio of players started a Blues game for the first time. Ecuadorian international defender Giovanny Espinoza, who has played for his country 80 times, was named in the first eleven along with compatriot Chucho and Irish under-21 winger Jay O'Shea got his big chance too.

Both Chucho and O'Shea had been involved off the bench in the early parts of the campaign but the game at St. Mary's was Blues' fans chance to see Espinoza in action for the very first time.

McLeish shuffled the pack in other areas of the team too, with experienced stopper Maik Taylor coming in to allow England keeper Joe Hart a rest.

Midfielder Gary McSheffrey made his first start of the season and there was a return to the line-up for Carsley.

The game started at a brisk pace and the Saints were on the front foot in the early stages until Chucho broke down the right on seven minutes and forced a corner off Dan Harding.

Although the setpiece came to nothing the move had sparked Blues into life and McLeish's men started to enjoy more possession of the ball.

However a good, swift move from right to left on ten minutes saw the hosts force a corner of their own and when Adam Lallana swung over a dangerous cross Taylor was forced to tip the ball behind.

The opening quarter hour offered up little in terms of gilt-edged opportunities but then Saints burst into life and Lloyd James hooked an effort over the bar from a central position ten yards out after swivelling into a shooting position.

Just three minutes later Jacob Mellis took his eye off the ball at the crucial moment and sliced his shot wide from 18 yards following a clever weaved pass by Harding.

With just over 20 minutes played Saints players and fans alike felt they had a strong claim for a penalty when Mellis went down in the box under a Franck Queudrue challenge but referee Phil Crossley waved play on and Paul Wotton arrowed a low drive wide.

O'Shea then breezed down the right for Blues and got on the end of a lovely McSheffrey pass that had cut the defence open, but the young Irishman's cross was over the heads of everyone.

On 27 Seb Larsson's looping shot from just outside the box following a Stephen Carr cut-back was blocked by Chris Perry but the visitors were picking up a head of steam.

But then came a moment of pure class from Chucho. He picked the ball up some 30 yards from goal, side-stepped his marker with ease and curled in a wicked shot that thudded back off Kelvin Davis' right-had post. The Ecuador striker was a lick of paint away from putting Blues in front and the ball flew back at such a pace that the onrushing McSheffrey could do little but put the rebound wide.

At the other end Taylor did extremely well to hold onto a Marek Saganowski long-range effort, although in truth the shot was right down the keeper's throat.

With just over five minutes left until the break Chucho charged at the Saints defence once again before being brought down by Wotton in a central position some 30 yards out.

Swedish winger Larsson stepped up to take the free-kick and couldn't have struck it much sweeter, his right-footed effort flew over the wall and looked destined for the bottom corner until it was clawed away by a splendid Davis save.

Half-time was less than a minute away when Larsson, getting increasingly involved in the game by this point, shot low into the arms of Davis after good work by the forward-thinking Carr.

HALF-TIME: SAINTS 0 BLUES 0

Scottish attacker James McFadden replaced O'Shea immediately after the break but it was Saints who pushed on at the re-start.

And on 51 minutes the hosts took the lead courtesy of an excellent Lallana strike. Larsson dithered on the ball just outside the area and was dispossessed by Saganowski. The Pole played a short pass to Lallana and he sublimely curled a shot over Taylor from 16 yards out and into the roof of the net to the delight of the home crowd.

Five minutes later it was almost a case of 'anything you can do, I can do better' as McSheffrey's deft free-kick from 25 yards was palmed away acrobatically by Davis.

Being ahead against a Premier League club was doing the home side no harm at all and they were snapping into every tackle and surging forward at every opportunity, Rickie Lambert steering a header over on the hour mark.

Striker Garry O'Connor came on for Larsson with just over an hour played and almost immediately his arrival on the field played its part in Blues winning a succession of corners as they searched for an equaliser.

A short delay in play followed for treatment to Murty who was down on the field of play for several minutes before being carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Simon Gillett.

On 67 McSheffrey's low angled drive test Davis once again but the veteran stopper saved well down to his left before Espinoza picked up a yellow card for a foul.

Blues fans held their heads in their hands on 72 when a rasping right-footer from captain Carsley from no less than 25 yards flew a whisker past the upright as the clock started to really tick down.

Mellis forced Taylor into a low save with a fierce angled shot which, had it gone in, would have given the visitors a mountain to climb.

But instead the net was left rippling at the other end on 77 when Blues produced a neat equaliser. McSheffrey and Bowyer exchanged a lovely one-two down the left, the latter broke into the penalty area and following Chucho's pass slotted an unstoppable low shot past Davis from 12 yards.

The visitors were stepping through the gears and starting to totally dominate the game. Chucho forced Davis to tip the ball over his bar before Blues went in front with ten minutes to go. Right-back Parnaby motored into the right hand corner and squared a lovely cross back for Carsley who slammed the ball home from 14 yards under the body of Davis.

At the end of the 90 the fourth official indicated no less than seven minutes injury time so the Blues fans had to hold their breath for a while longer.

But the comeback was complete and the side could start looking forward to a return to Premier League action in the form of a trip to White Hart Lane to take on Spurs on Saturday.

FULL-TIME: SAINTS 1 BLUES 2

Southampton: Kelvin Davis, Graeme Murty (Simon Gillett 66), Wayne Thomas, Chris Perry, Dan Harding, Lloyd James, Paul Wotton, Jacob Mellis, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Marek Saganowski (Matt Paterson 82). Unused subs: Bartosz Bialkowski, Olly Lancashire, Morgan Schneiderlin, Jake Thomson, Oscar Gobern.

Blues: Maik Taylor, Stephen Carr, Franck Queudrue, Giovanny Espinoza, Stuart Parnaby, Jay O'Shea (James McFadden 46), Seb Larsson (Garry O'Connor 61), Lee Carsley, Lee Bowyer, Gary McSheffrey, Chucho. Unused subs: Joe Hart, Roger Johnson, Barry Ferguson.

Booked: Espinoza 68

Goals: Lallana 51, Bowyer 77, Carsley 80

Referee: Phil Crossley

Attendance: 11,753 (631 Blues fans)