It might have been an evening of emotional farewells but there was also a serious match on at St Mary's tonight.

Jan Poortvliet's first game at St Mary's, fielding a young team against the Scottish champions Celtic was a big deal.

Not only for him to find out whether these undoubtedly talented youngsters could handle the pressure of the big stage but also for expectations amongst the crowd.

In terms of how excited the fans will be for the new season and the crowds that will turn up for the opening matches to see them this game and the two remaining home friendlies against West Ham and Stoke are vital.

All the signs last night pointed to a sense of optimism that is based in reality as well as in hope.

There are still many areas to work on for Poortvliet as you would expect at this stage, including the workings of the new formation, but the St Mary's crowd responded well to what they saw.

Though Celtic were undoubtedly rusty, they were still a class act with players like Aiden McGeady a cut above what Saints will face week in week out in the Championship come August 9.

Going forward was where Saints looked their most impressive.

All the talk of the 4-2-1-2-1 formation, of youngsters with no fear, used to playing alongside each other and happy to zip the ball around is clearly not just talk.

As well as the academy products we know about such as Adam Lallana, new signing Morgan Schneiderlin was outstanding.

With no disrespect, quite how Saints managed to sign a player of this quality and potential is remarkable.

Although the defence at times creaked in the first half under the weight of Celtic's excellence in the final third, Lloyd James was also superb at right back and looks as though he will be the man to solve that dilemma for Poortvliet.

The biggest question mark remains over the exactly how you play the new formation, specifically the wide areas.

As was the fear, when you abandon 4-4-2 and the presence of traditional wide midfielders you can leave your full backs very exposed.

Celtic exploited it ruthlessly in the first half, at times pushing their wide men up to make it four on four at the back for Saints.

At other times they deliberately dropped deep, posing the full backs the problem of whether to stay in line and concede possession and ground or push up and leave the centre halves exposed for pace and numbers with a two on two.

It is an anomaly of the system which Poortvliet can and surely will find a way of combating but these are minor worries in what is still early days in the development of his side.

James proved what a good prospect he is early on with a terrific last ditch sliding tackle in the area to deny Saints old boy Scott McDonald before Saints quickly broke at the other end and were unlucky not be awarded a penalty when Lee Holmes went down in the box.

Schneiderlin threatened with a half volley from 25 yards after great control on 11 minutes but it was Kelvin Davis who was the busier keeper in the first half.

He produced his first stop from close range from McDonald on 19 minutes and followed that up with two saves in two minutes from Chris Killen. The first was a terrific stop low down after Killen had broken the offside trap, the second a strong hand from a rasping effort.

David McGoldrick saw a deflected shot go just wide before Mark Brown was in action, spilling Lallana's effort but grabbing it at the second attempt.

Celtic did eventually take the lead however, Scott Brown's cross finished off by a low first time finish into the bottom corner from Killen.

Though Saints still looked good, Davis had more work to do. First he produced a double save, the first from McDonald and the follow-up a looping Barry Robson header.

Lallana ended the half positively with a toe poke that Brown just managed to react to and stop.

The second period was far more stop start with plenty of substitutions for both sides.

There wasn't so much goalmouth action early on with the biggest cheers reserved for Michael Svensson back on the turf at St Mary's for the start of the second period.

There wasn't much he could do to stop Celtic doubling their lead on 66 minutes, though, with Georgios Samaras breaking through and overrunning the ball. By that time Andrew Surman had committed to a sliding tackle and chopped him down in the area.

Robson stepped up to take the penalty that resulted and smashed it left footed into Davis' top right hand corner.

Samaras almost got in on the act himself on 75 minutes, sliding in to meet Paul Caddis' cross but Davis got down to his left to stop.

The game turned into more of an exhibition match towards the end as first auction winner Tommy Kaland, Matthew Le Tissier and then, to huge acclaim, Claus Lundekvam entered the fray.

But by that stage Poortvliet had seen all he needed, having learnt plenty about his young side, and it was over to the old stagers to have their moment for one last time.

Jason Euell did test sub keeper Scott Fox with a drive from distance that he tipped over before Cillian Sheridan somehow contrived to miss a simple tap-in at the far post for Celtic.

Le Tissier rolled back the years with an outrageous lob that drifted just wide of the far post but the score was to remain the same.

When the final whistle went Lundekvam had got his wish - a proper farewell and a time to remember the past but with more than a glimpse into the future at Saints.

Teams: Saints: Davis, James, Thomas (Svensson 45), Perry (Lundekvam 83), Surman, Schneiderlin (Wotton 63), Gillett (Le Tissier 76), Lallana (Kaland 68), Wright-Phillips, Holmes (Mills 55), McGoldrick (Euell 63).

Celtic: Brown (Fox 78), Hinkel, Caldwell (Odea 45), McManus (Balde 78), Naylor (Wilson 45), Hartley, Robson (Caddis 71), Brown (Donati 45), McGeady (Mizuno 62), Killen (Samaras 45), McDonald (Sheridan 45).

Att: 18,664.