RALPH Hasenhuttl was left dismayed as his side shipped two goals within five minutes of opening the scoring to slip to a third successive Premier League defeat.

Joe Aribo put his side ahead right after half-time with his second Premier League goal in a team that featured five players with double-barrelled surnames.

Unfortunately, it was the Toffees who gave Saints both barrels with a double-salvo as Conor Coady and Dwight McNeil reversed the scores to 2-1 almost immediately.

Saints, as they have often seemed to do this campaign, started to play their best football when already behind – but a succession of good chances were wasted and the visitors held on.

Hasenhuttl flipped the script on his starting XI selection with no fewer than six changes and first Saints starts for deadline day additions Duje Caleta-Car, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and 18-year-old Juan Larios.

Joe Aribo, Sekou Mara and Stuart Armstrong also returned to the lineup with Moi Elyounoussi among those dropped after six consecutive starts, and a change to the more active 4-2-2-2 formation.

Everton visited St Mary’s off the back of a five unbeaten run but four of those were draws, Frank Lampard’s side proving difficult to beat.

But it is a fixture that usually sees the home side running out winners. With the pressure ramping up again ahead of an eight-game pre-World Cup run, another home win would do nicely.

It looked like the away outfit were more likely to threaten, though, once Che Adams had dinked wide under pressure from Jordan Pickford in the early stages.

Most of the chances fell to or were created by Demarai Gray, with Gavin Bazunu producing interventions on long-shots and dangerous crosses alike.

The Everton supporters were left more inspired while Saints struggled to move the ball out of their defensive third under pressure, although Sekou Mara was a standout for his control and creativity.

Saints survived the aerial bombardment but went into half-time without a clear shot on goal again, Stuart Armstrong having a deflected effort into Pickford’s arms.

Hasenhuttl made no changes at half-time and the decision paid off, Aribo picking up a ball slightly behind him from Che Adams before driving across goal to open the scoring.

Saints had taken the lead inside five minutes of the second period, but fast-forward five minutes and they would find themselves shellshocked.

Coady first finished from close-range after a deep free-kick was headed across goal by Amadou Onana to level proceedings inside 90 seconds of the opener.

Then, minutes later, McNeil was left completely free at the same back-post to smash in Alex Iwobi’s diagonal cross past Bazunu from the most acute of angles.

Hasenhuttl responded with a double switch another six minutes later, but it was Bazunu who next had to keep Gray out one-on-one.

Substitute Adam Armstrong saw two golden opportunities in the area pass him by, firing into the ground and over and then into an onrushing defender.

Debutant Caleta-Car then fired over from close-range on the volley from James Ward-Prowse's delivery, deep inside six minutes of added time, as the game slipped away.

Saints: Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Bella-Kotchap, Caleta-Car, Larios (Perraud, 60); Maitland-Niles (Edozie, 67), Ward-Prowse, Aribo, S Armstrong (Elyounoussi, 88); Mara (A Armstrong, 60), Adams.

Unused subs: Salisu, Djenepo, Diallo, Elyounoussi, Walcott, McCarthy (g/k).

Booked: Maitland-Niles, S Armstrong.

Everton: Pickford: Coleman, Tarkowski, Coady, Mykolenko; Onana (Davies, 73), Gueye, Iwobi; Gray (Doucoure, 90), McNeil (Gordon, 73), Maupay (Rondon, 88).

Unused subs: Keane, Doucoure, Vinagre, Rondon, Garner, John, Begovic (g/k).

Booked: Gueye.

Referee: Andre Marriner.

VAR: Lee Mason.

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