UWE ROSLER'S rocket and Jo Tessem's rasping effort were enough to see Saints to a 2-1 win over Aldershot.

Manager Stuart Gray was on hand to witness this half of his squad, including triallist Paul Murray.

As per usual, pre-season friendlies are notorious to draw any conclusions from. But at least Murray slotted in comfortably at right-back.

Saints look as though they will lining up this season in a solid 4-4-2 formation, no Christmas trees or Fantasy Island formations as under Glenn Hoddle.

And other than a good performance from Murray who is playing for a contract, it was evident that Saints are in good physical shape as they count down to the big kick-off.

There was ring-rust to run out of the legs, and Gray was grateful that the Shots gave his side a good work-out, no soft touches here as the scoreline indicates.

Matt Oakley's role in midfield might not exactly be a brand new one, but it's been refined and re-defined. Sitting just in front of the back four, his is the role Eric Cantona unjustly described Didier Deschamps as the water carrier.

Just about everything is channelled through him to shuttle the ball around as Paul Harford, son of one-time Saints coach candidate Ray, certainly gave him some close attention.

Up front, Rosler looked hungry and eager, always showing well for the ball even if Saints did labour at first to break down a well-ordered Shots defence in which central defenders Ollie Adedeji and Ryan Kirby showed that even at Ryman's League level, defenders are no mugs.

Rosler, paired initially with Adrian Caceres up front, passed up an early opportunity when Imants Bleidelis picked him out with his cross and the German's first effort with his right-foot was blocked, and his follow-up with his left flew wide.

But there was no hiding the quality of his strike when Kevin Davies touched the ball back on 23 minutes and Rosler had one touch to set himself up to blast a serving, dipping effort past Gareth Howells from 25 yards.

Paul Jones in the Saints goal was under-employed in the first-half. However the Saints keeper did have one scare when Richard Gell let fly from 25 yards and Jones, on his six-yard line, parried upwards but then lost sight of the flight of the ball as it bounced on top of the bar before being hacked to safety.

Saints stretched their lead on 55 minutes when Bleidelis turned the Shots defence with his burst down the right to the by-line where his cut-back found Tessem who planted a left-foot first-timer low into the corner.

Within a minute, Aldershot fashioned a carbon copy goal, Watson unusually out-muscling Benali on the right touchline before driving the ball across for John Nutter to ram home.

Aldershot: Howells, Holsgrove (Sugrue 70), Nutter (Kamara 79), Adedeji, Kirby, Coll, Protheroe (Graham 70), Harford, Payne (Brown 70), Watson (Ellis 81), Gell.

Saints: Jones, Murray, Benali, Tessem, Lundekvam, Richards (Ashford 85), Belidelis, Oakley (Crowell 81), Rosler (McDonald 75), Caceres, Davies. Unused subs: Rosier, Robertson, Bevan (g/k).

Referee: Kevin Merchant.

Attendance: 2,038.