Ipswich Town 0-1 Southampton

• Long's first-half strike sees Saints progress

• Ipswich's Hunt has goal ruled out early on

• Koeman's side lose Wanyama to injury

• Southampton will host Palace in fourth round

Shane Long's predatory finish edged Southampton through their FA Cup replay at Ipswich Town and into a fourth-round tie against Crystal Palace.

Town's Stephen Hunt had an early effort disallowed for offside, before Long's instinctive swipe at a loose ball had Saints in front in a cagey first half.

After a 1-1 draw in the first game, there remained little between the sides, with Darren Ambrose heading straight at visiting keeper Fraser Forster.

Championship promotion hopefuls Ipswich saw plenty of the ball in the closing stages, but failed to produce the clear-cut chance that would have taken it to extra-time.

Southampton, off the back of a superb win at Manchester United last weekend, were made to work for their progress to the fourth round though, in a game that failed to reflect the magnificent seasons both of these sides are having.

Ronald Koeman's men have announced themselves as genuine contenders for a spot in the Champions League and sit third in the Premier League - the same position taken up in the Championship by Mick McCarthy's Ipswich, with a squad that cost just £10,000 to construct.

Saints may well have been disjointed by the five changes they made from their Old Trafford success and lined up with a young midfield five that included 19-year-olds Matt Targett and Harrison Reed, and lost the influential midfielder Victor Wanyama late in the first half to an injury that looked like it might sideline him for a while.

There was still room for a moment of quality from Long and an energetic performance from midfielder James Ward-Prowse, who was central to everything positive Saints produced.

Town, who were down to the bare bones with a virus-hit squad, seemed reasonably comfortable against their top-flight opponents in the early stages, with Hunt's disallowed strike, after being put through by Kevin Bru, a warning of their potential.

But, in Southampton's first chance of the night, Long produced a moment of class.

Tommy Smith's perfectly timed tackle on Ward-Prowse in the area looked to have halted a Saints move, but Irishman Long showed lightning reactions to flash the loose ball in at the near post from 10 yards out.

David McGoldrick, who was a Saints player between 2004 and 2009, sent a shot wide from a tight angle when he should have cut it back, and after the break highly rated 21-year-old Tyrone Mings stepped off the bench to swing in a cross that Darren Ambrose could only head straight at Fraser Forster.

But Saints were rarely troubled, and will host Palace in an all-Premier League tie on 24 January.

Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy: "I'm always disappointed when I lose but I thought the game was a damp squib. We were OK until they scored and then they killed the game.

"They're a good Premier League side. Neither goalkeeper has been worked too much, but they got the goal and they killed the game.

"We did not want that game to be like that. We wanted it to be a rip-roaring cup tie. But you have to give credit to Southampton."

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman: "It was a serious performance from us. We were lucky we scored from our first chance in the game.

"After that we defended well, with good organisation. We had good opportunities in the first 15 minutes of the second half to create something out of our counter attacks.

"But I'm proud of the team. It was a typical English cup game with long balls. It was very positive."

Ipswich's defeat was only their second in their last 14 games

Southampton are unbeaten in seven games (won five and drawn two)

Dusan Tadic (R) was unable to follow up his goalscoring feat against Manchester United with another goal at Ipswich

Stephen Hunt had a goal disallowed for Ipswich, who rarely threatened to upset their Premier League opponents