Sheffield United's match-winner Marc McNulty had to pinch himself after his goal earned victory over Southampton and a place in the Capital One Cup semi-final.

The 22-year-old bundled home from close range in the 63rd minute to earn a second Premier League scalp of the season for the League One Blades, who reached the last four of this competition for the first time since 2002/03.

It is a remarkable story for McNulty, who was playing semi-professional football with Scottish Championship side Livingston until the summer when Nigel Clough came calling.

The winner, which settled a one-sided tie where Southampton were out-played and out-fought, was his eighth goal of the season and McNulty admits he is living the dream.

"I still need to pinch myself sometimes," he said. "Twenty-odd thousand people here singing my name and scoring goals against Premier League teams in the cup is just a dream come true.

"It's the stuff you dream of as a boy and it came true.

"It's brilliant, it's hard to describe nights like that, the fans made it extra special and to get the winner was just unbelievable.

"The boys were confident before the game. We didn't expect to come out with a flukey win, we came out with game plan to get in their face and the boys believed we could get something out of the game and I think that showed.

"This win could give massive confidence to the boys, Southampton have been flying in the Premier League and we can take great belief from results like that."

The victory, which would have been far more resounding had Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster not made a string of fine saves, continues the Blades' superb cup run over the last 12 months.

Having knocked two top-flight teams out of the FA Cup last season to reach the semi-final, they have sent two more packing in the League Cup and sit two games away from a return to Wembley.

With McNulty not at the club for that impressive cup run last year, he is keen to experience it for himself.

"I obviously missed out on it last year, I was good friends with some of the lads in the team so I watched all the games last year and I was a bit jealous of not being on the pitch," he added.

"That was great for the players and the fans last year but hopefully we can do it again this year."