Another comprehensive win to complete Saints training week in South Wales, now the team can return back to England having built some solid foundations and fine tune with the two home friendlies in the next week.

As predicted it was pretty much mix and match again for Saints with those who started on the bench at Cardiff in midweek stepping into the starting line up.

ALEX MCCARTHY (GK)
2
KYLE WALKER-PETERS
YAN VALERY (60′)
35
JAN BEDNAREK
OLUDARE OLUFUNWA (81′)
22
MOHAMMED SALISU
JACK STEPHENS (60′)
19
MOUSSA DJENEPO
ROMAIN PERRAUD (60′)
17
STUART ARMSTRONG
RYAN FINNIGAN (73′)
6
ORIOL ROMEU (C)
IBRAHIMA DIALLO (46′)
23
NATHAN TELLA
THEO WALCOTT (60′)
11
NATHAN REDMOND
MOHAMED ELYOUNOUSSI (60′)
7
SHANE LONG
DANNY INGS (60′)
10
CHÉ ADAMS
MICHAEL OBAFEMI (60′)

SUBSTITUTES
41
HARRY LEWIS
44
FRASER FORSTER
5
JACK STEPHENS
9
DANNY INGS
14
MICHAEL OBAFEMI
15
ROMAIN PERRAUD
18
YAN VALERY
24
MOHAMED ELYOUNOUSSI
27
IBRAHIMA DIALLO
32
THEO WALCOTT
42
OLUDARE OLUFUNWA
50
RYAN FINNIGAN

It started well for Saints and they had several good chances early on, but it was the home side who opened the scoring when Mohammed Salisu put through his own goal on 15 minutes, slicing an attempted clearance past Alex McCarthy from close range.

The lead for the Swans lasted barely a minute though and virtually from the kick off Saints attacked and a flowing move saw Nathan Tella slot home to put Saints back on equal terms working well with Che Adams to create the opportunity.

By the 25th minute Saints were in front, this time it was Nathan Redmond who got on the end of a weighted pass to beat the Swansea keeper.

The first half was all Saints and although it was only 2-1 at the break it could easily have been 5.

In the second half the pace slowed a little and the Welsh side could have got back in the game when Alex McCarthy showed the good and the bad in his game, first up he lost a little concentration and with the ball at his feet was caught in possession, the Swas got an effort in on goal but Jan Bednarek managed to clear off the line.

But the keeper redeemed himself a little later with a smart save.

The third and final goal for Saints came when Stuart Armstrong sent Shane Long down the right hand channel and when the Irishman got to the line and pulled the ball back it was the Scotsman who despatched the ball to make the game safe.

Overall Saints dominated and created a raft of chances, but the worrying thing was that they didn't convert as many as they should have, but Ralph Hasenhuttl will hope that in the two weeks before the season's opener at Everton the shooting boots will be fine tuned.

Again there was a lot to be taken from this game, but it did highlight the widening gap between Premier League sides and the Championship, we have to be careful not to get too excited just yet.

But we did look lively with plenty of running and teamwork with some lovely passing in the build up.

The hope is that both Nathan Tella and Moussa Djenepo will have learn't a little more last season and truly play a big part in the coming season, so far in his St Mary's career Ralph has worked with a smaller group of players, but now he seems to feel that he does need a squad and the word is that perhaps both Shane Long and Mo Elyounoussi will not go out on loan but will be part of the squad.

The Austrian will feel satisfied with this display, but he will be well aware that we are only half way in our pre season programme and we need to step up a few gears in the coming weeks.

Photo: Action Images

dirk_doone added 12:18 - Aug 1 It was a very good performance. Saints dominated and had Swansea penned back in their half for most of the game. Armstong was really outstanding and Nathen Tella looks like he could be a real star for us this season. Fortunately, in this game, Swansea hardly got near our goal but on the rare occasion when they did MCCarthy looked as nervous and mistake-prone as usual. It is worrying that McCarthy could still be in goal for us for Premier League games. That's going to cost us a lot of points again this season and it shouldn't have been allowed to come to this.

2

highfield49 added 12:44 - Aug 1 I really don't like picking out players for individual criticism, but sometimes it's inevitable, and McCarthy, despite his redeeming saves, is a disaster waiting to happen. Forster is way ahead in the pecking order now and it may be time to give Harry Lewis an opportunity instead of keeping him on the bench.
3

sandywelsh added 13:40 - Aug 1 I thought McCarthy was at fault for the Swansea goal. He stayed on his line when he should have come out and either caught or punched the ball. He is an accident waiting to happen and Forster played a lot better in the previous game. Forster to be the number 1 in the Premier League games.
2

wessexman added 17:01 - Aug 1 I was at the game. Talking to Swansea supporters, they are very worried. No manager, 9 players gone and no parachute payments. The goal we conceded was a lack of basic defending. Two of the goals were well worked. Djenepo is not a full back and his antics were a joke....in a friendly? Really? I very much hope we do get the much needed players in and we don't lose our star players. But, you very much get the impression this is what is going to have to get us through to next May. Whether it is going to be enough...only time will tell. Swansea and Cardiff are two very poor sides. Everton away on day one will tell us an awful lot more.

3

Peterx added 19:17 - Aug 1 We looked full of running and with better finishing could have scored a lot more. Swansea looked like a Championship bottom half of the table team. Would have liked to see RH try switching to different formations during the game (If he did was not obvious to me), as not having a plan B when we run out of gas was our problem last year and best we try it out before we get Prem opposition.

1

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