Saints come from behind to get pre-season off to winning start at Eastleigh

SAINTS came from behind to beat National League Eastleigh 3-1 in their first pre-season friendly ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Nick Akoto scrambled in a deep corner to give the hosts the lead after just 14 minutes, but Tonda Eckert's side were not losing for long.

Leo Scienza had an effort seemingly cleared off the line - he might contest it was in, and he might be right - but Lewis Dobbin converted anyway.

Then Nick Oyekunle headed in the goal to put Saints ahead 15 minutes after the initial opener, with Romeo Akachkwu netting late in the second half.

"We've got Eckert," reaffirmed their support for the boss in his first appearance since Spygate, before chanting swiftly turned to, "**** the EFL".

Eastleigh FC v Southampton FC Pre-Season Friendly. (Image: Stuart Martin)

Eckert was eager to give the supporters a good showing, with no other fixture in front of the club's home fans until Stoke City on August 22.

He named a strong XI for the first half, skippered by Jack Stephens and featuring the likes of Caspar Jander, Flynn Downes and Leo Scienza.

Nathan Wood nearly gave his side an early lead against the non-league opposition, but his downward header from a corner was too central.

Jander was then forced off early after appearing to slow down at the end of a bursting run up the pitch, before a slide tackle took him off his feet.

Eastleigh then took a surprise lead through Akoto, as Saints failed to clear a deep corner which bobbled around the box before falling to the scorer.

Just 10 minutes later, Saints levelled through either Scienza or Dobbin - the Brazilian had an initial header saved onto the post and cleared off the line.

Eastleigh FC v Southampton FC Pre-Season Friendly. (Image: Stuart Martin)

Dobbin was there to smash home the rebound anyway, but debate between those two as to whether it had already crossed the line might rage on.

There is no argument to be had over the scorer of the second, as Oyekunle arrived to crash home a Tom Fellows cross - which also set up the first goal.

Eastleigh FC v Southampton FC Pre-Season Friendly. (Image: Stuart Martin)

It meant 15 minutes after going behind, Saints were ahead. They had imposed themselves, although Eastleigh went close again before the break.

Mads Roerslev started for his first appearance in eight months and was withdrawn to applause in a pre-planned change after half-an-hour.

Goalkeeper George Long - the only player to play the whole 90 minutes - wowed fans with some elaborate volleyed footwork under pressure.

Eckert named an all-new XI for the second period, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis taking the armband and Damion Downs back in action for Saints.

Cam Archer and Akachukwu were the liveliest of the attackers, while Ryan Manning had a dangerous free-kick, but little troubled the keeper.

Harwood-Bellis should have scored after 68 minutes when he arrived onto an inch-perfect Cam Bragg cross at the back-post, but powered over.

Archer started and nearly finished a nice move, but his effort was too central and easily saved, as the minutes ticked down with just one goal in it.

That was until Akachukwu plundered the third, after Downs failed to connect his volley with a Sam Edozie cross, seeing it fall to the Irishman instead.

Eastleigh FC v Southampton FC Pre-Season Friendly. (Image: Stuart Martin)

Akachukwu had already tested Nick Townsend with a curling effort after cutting inside from the left before eventually getting his reward late on.

Saints pushed for a fourth but were forced to settle for a score one better than they had managed last year in the annual friendly between the clubs.

Eckert handed valuable minutes to 23 players in total across the evening as Saints opened their summer schedule with an expected victory.

Eckert's side are next in action on Friday, July 24, when they take on Eintracht Braunschweig on the first day of their training camp in Germany.

Saints: Long; Roerslev (Kayi-Sanda, 30), Wood, Stephens, Welington; Downes, Jander (O'Brien Whitmarsh, 8), Fellows, Dobbin, Scienza; Oyekunle.

Saints: Long; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Quarshie, Manning; Bragg, Matsuki, Edozie, Archer, Akachukwu; Downs.