SAINTS got their pre-season off to a flying start with a 7-1 win and a hatful of first appearances at local neighbours Eastleigh. 

Adam Armstrong netted twice and Will Smallbone the once to give them a three-goal lead at half-time, before Sekou Mara buried a penalty after the break.

Scott Quigley pulled one back for the Spitfires but Saints then turned the screw, seeing goals scored by full-backs Ryan Manning and Yukinari Sugawara.

Charly Alcaraz netted the seventh on his return to the club after spending the second half of last season on loan at Juventus.

Eastleigh find themselves under the management of Saints great Kelvin Davis and it was a mutually enjoyed atmosphere at Silverlake Stadium.

Manager Russell Martin named an attacking lineup with three defenders, four midfielders and three forwards to take on the Spitfires.

Adam Lallana was billed to start the first half but dropped out after taking part in the warm-up, perhaps raising some fitness concerns.

That was no problem for Saints on the pitch, with Armstrong opening the scoring after just seven minutes thanks to a low Joe Aribo ball.

He could have already had a treble, curling one just wide of the top post and seeing a one-on-one saved before the opener.

Tyler Dibling replaced Lallana in the lineup and fed a delightful through ball for Armstrong to run onto and bury his second 10 minutes later. 

The game evened up as Martin began to make changes, including bringing on young forward Sam Amo-Ameyaw for debutant Ronnie Edwards after the goal.

Eastleigh tried to catch Alex McCarthy off his line from kick-off but the experienced goalkeeper was wise to it and gathered.

Smallbone, wearing number eight, raced onto a Flynn Downes splitting pass and beat Joe McDonnell in net for the third before half-time.

Eastleigh's best moments came just before the break, with McCarthy forced into a save from a tight angle and then fouled amid a box scramble.

Martin's second-half XI featured Sugawara and Nathan Wood for the first time in a Saints shirt, as well as the return of Alcaraz.

It was Mara who added the fourth just four minutes into the half, slotting away a penalty won a tricky Amo-Ameyaw dribble in the box. 

Eastleigh pulled one back via their own set-piece, after new signing Nathan Wood was penalised for a foul and Quigley met the free-kick at the back-post to convert. 

Manning restored the four-goal lead with Southampton's fifth, finishing a rebound low and across the box with 20 minutes still to play.

Sugawara capped off a fine debut with a strike from long-range to beat substitute goalkeeper Tommy Scott - nobody would have saved it. 

The seventh came courtesy of Alcaraz stroking in from the edge of the area after Amo-Ameyaw had terrorised his counterpart cutting inside into the box. 

Saints (first-half): McCarthy; Bree, Edwards, Taylor; Downes (c), Dibling, Smallbone, Aribo; Merry, Edozie, Armstrong.

Saints (second-half): Lis; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis (c), Wood, Manning; Charles, Dibling, Alcaraz; Amo-Ameyaw, Robinson, Mara.

Eastleigh: McDonnell; Brindley, Trialist A, Fernandez, Francilette, Maguire, Taylor (c), McCallum, Shade, Nwabuokei, Panter.