Saints won their fourth game out of four in pre-season, with a 1-0 victory away to Bournemouth.

Lloyd Isgrove’s first-half goal was enough to separate the sides in a game that started well, but tailed off after the break.

Saints have now beaten Dutch amateurs EHC Hoensbroek, Belgian minnows Sporting Hasselt, Swindon Town and Cherries, without conceding a goal.

Ronald Koeman fielded his strongest starting line-up of the summer yet, and it was no surprise to see his team control the first half.

They deservedly took the lead after 20 minutes, when Lloyd Isgrove headed in Nathaniel Clyne’s right-wing cross.

Graziano Pelle wasted a good chance to double the lead before the break, but fired straight at Cherries keeper Benji Buchel when through on goal.

A raft of substitutions in the second half interrupted the flow of the game, although Bournemouth thought they had equalised in the dying stages, when Brettt Pitman headed in an Ian Harte free-kick, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Saints: Boruc, Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida (Hooiveld 61), Targett, S Davis (Reed 61), Ward-Prowse (Stephens 76), Tadic (McQueen 61), Ramírez (Cork 45), Isgrove (Mayuka 76), Pelle (Gallagher 76).

Bournemouth: Buchel, Smith (Francis 71), Cook (Stanislas 71), Elphick, Daniels (Cargill 71), McQuoid (Arter 71), Gosling (Whitfield 81), O'Kane (Matthews 81), Pugh (Harte 71), Kermorgant (Pitman 71), Wilson (Ritchie 45).