MASON Greenwood’s second-half strike meant Saints were left to settle for a 1-1 draw in their first home Premier League contest of the campaign.

Che Adams’s deflected shot, which went down as a Fred own goal, had put the hosts in front after 30 minutes against Manchester United at St Mary’s.

But Greenwood’s strike from inside the box levelled up the contest for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men as Saints were pegged back on the south coast.

Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl named an unchanged starting XI from the side which started the club’s 3-1 defeat to Everton in the Premier League last time out.

That meant competitive home debuts for new recruits Adam Armstrong and Tino Livramento.

There was no place on the bench for Stuart Armstrong due to a minor calf problem, with Shane Long taking his place among the substitutes.

England international Jadon Sancho – a £73million arrival from Borussia Dortmund last month – and World Cup winner Raphael Varane were named among the substitutes for the Red Devils.

But it was Saints who fashioned the first strike at goal in the opening two minutes.

Skipper James Ward-Prowse, fresh off signing a new five-year contract at the club, worked David de Gea in the United goal with a curling free-kick.

It only took the visitors seven minutes to cause Saints real problems, however. A dangerous free-kick whipped into the box allowed England centre-half Harry Maguire to loop the ball onto the crossbar.

The rebound then fell to Anthony Martial, who saw his header cleared off the line by Mohammed Salisu, as Saints scrambled the ball to safety.

Another United set-piece then almost led to the deadlock being broken.

Former Saint Luke Shaw’s outswinging free-kick found Paul Pogba at the back post. Salisu was on hand to block the Frenchman’s shot from inside the six-yard box.

Adam Armstrong then got his first sight of goal just before the 30-minute mark. After some slick stepovers from Moussa Djenepo, the Malian picked out the former Newcastle man at the edge of the box. Armstrong tried his luck but sent a curling effort over the top of the bar.

The opener did come in Saints’ favour shortly after, however. After Jack Stephens dispossessed Bruno Fernandes on the right, his in-field pass allowed Djenepo to find Aramstrong, who touched on to Adams.

And in finding space, Adams’s deflected effort off the boot of Fred found the bottom corner to make it 1-0 to the hosts. The goal deemed as an own goal from the United midfielder.

Saints then almost had a second on the counter five minutes before the break. A strong run from full-back Livramento allowed him to motor down the right and shrug off the challenge of Fred. The teenager’s cross just evaded the run of Armstrong.

Nemanja Matic’s header from a corner was gathered by McCarthy as Saints went in ahead at the interval.

Saints swapped Theo Walcott with Jan Bednarek at half-time, with Stephens moving to the right of three centre-backs and Livramento playing further forward.

But it was the visitors who got back on level terms 10 minutes into the second half through Greenwood.

After neat interplay between Paul Pogba and Fernandes, the former’s deft flick allowed the England international to take aim and strike a scruffy effort through the legs of Alex McCarthy.

The Saints stopper was alert to deny a goalward header from Fernandes, who was unmarked running on to Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross from the right.

Hasenhuttl then looked at his bench in frustration when, after Saints won the ball high up the pitch, Armstrong’s low drive was kept out by de Gea with just more than 15 minutes left.

The former Blackburn man then headed into the turf instead of on goal when meeting Adams’s flick to the back post from a corner. Ward-Prowse saw another free-kick beaten away by de Gea.

Saints: McCarthy, Livramento, Stephens, Salisu, Perraud (Walker-Peters, 79), Walcott (Bednarek, h-t), Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Djenepo (Diallo, 70), Adams, Armstrong.

Unused subs: Long, Redmond, Tella, Elyounoussi, Valery, Forster (g/k).

Booked: Djenepo, Stephens.

United: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Matic (Lingard, 86), Fred (McTominay, 75), Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba, Martial (Sancho, 59).

Unused subs: Mata, Varane, Dalot, James, van de Beek, Heaton (g/k).

Booked: Fernandes, Maguire, Pogba.

Referee: Craig Pawson.

VAR: Andre Marriner.