Report: Saints secure victory in pre-season opener

On a scorching day, the hosts were hot from the start as Kieron Evans scored after just two minutes.

That was as good as it got for former Saint Kelvin Davis’s side, however, as Saints’ monopoly on possession paid off on the stroke of half time when Adam Armstrong levelled it up from the penalty spot.

Following wholesale changes at the halfway point, the pattern of the game continued in favour of the team in red and white with Cameron Archer eventually securing victory for the visitors late on.

Taking charge of his first game, Will Still opted to give two separate line-ups 45 minutes each in SO50 as Saints eased into their pre-season friendly schedule.

Summer signing Joshua Quarshie made his first appearance in red and white in the second half, while fellow new recruit Damion Downs is yet to link up with the squad after an extended summer with USA competing in the Concacaf Gold Cup stateside.

Joshua Quarshie made his Saints debut (Photo: Matt Watson)

Back in Hampshire, however, one of Eastleigh’s new arrivals wasted no time in getting to work.

Aaron Blair broke clear off the back line on the right-hand-side of the box, composing himself before coolly squaring for Evans who couldn’t miss from a yard out.

Undeterred, Still’s side soon took control of possession and searched for an equaliser, with James Bree coming closest inside the opening 20 minutes when his effort from just inside the box flew over the bar.

With Saints camped in Spitfire territory, their patience was nearly rewarded on the half-hour mark when Shea Charles forced a save out of Nick Townsend, with the parried strike falling to Armstrong who saw his attempt heroically blocked by Temi Eweka.

While red and white shirts continued to flood forward, clear-cut chances remained at a premium until shortly before the break when the visitors were awarded a golden chance to level it up.

When Charles hit the deck inside the box referee Matt Russell wasted no time pointing to the spot, where Armstrong sent Townsend the wrong way from 12 yards with virtually the last act of the half.

Adam Armstrong scored from the spot (Photo: Matt Watson)

Swapping all 11 players for the second 45, it was Saints who were quick out of the blocks this time as Jay Robinson came close two minutes after the restart, cleverly beating his man on the edge of the box before forcing the trialist goalkeeper into a smart save.

The red and white onslaught continued, with Yukinari Sugawara, who scored in this fixture last season, seeing a shot come back off the post after good work from Sam Edozie.

Playing some free-flowing football in the final third, Robinson and Sugawara both came close again to giving the visitors the lead before the hour-mark, until the goal finally came with 15 minutes remaining.

Robinson, who cut a lively figure over on the left wing, cleverly dinked a pass into the path of Archer who emphatically found the back of the net to complete the comeback.

The lead was almost doubled just a minute later when Kuryu Matsuki, making his Saints bow after spending last season on loan at Göztepe, saw his shot from 12 yards well saved by Eastleigh’s trialist stopper.

A late flurry of changes for the host disturbed the flow of the final 10 minutes, with some promising build up not coming to fruition for Saints who had to settle for a single-goal victory against their National League neighbours as pre-season began in a positive manner.

Eastleigh: Townsend (Trialist B 46’), Brindley (Taylor 60’), Vokins (Harris 59’), Fernandez (Jones 60’), Eweka (Mubiru 60’), Evans (Shade 46’), McCallum (Killick 60’), Blair (Trialist C 46’), Waruih, Trialist A (Ceesay 79’), Underhill (St Vincent 79’).

Goals: Evans (2’).

Saints (first half): McCarthy, Bree, Stephens, Kayi Sanda, Taylor, Charles, Smallbone, Fraser, Armstrong, Brereton Díaz, Stewart.

Booked: Smallbone.

Saints (second half): Bazunu, Sugawara, Wood, Quarshie, Welington, Downes, Matsuki, Dibling, Robinson, Edozie, Archer.

Goals: Armstrong (45+1’), Archer (75’).