Saints’ first pre-season friendly on home soil ended in a 3-0 defeat to Derby.

The Championship side, playing at Pride Park for the first time since Frank Lampard was appointed as manager, were the better team and good value for their victory.

It underlined the work still to be done for Mark Hughes and his squad three weeks before the start of the Premier League season.

Derby started on the front foot and it was they who looked more composed on the ball and more threatening going forward.

Alex McCarthy had to be in good form to keep the scores level.

He was quickly off his line early on to deny Craig Bryson before stopping down to his right from Tom Lawrence.

McCarthy produced a top drawer piece of goalkeeping on 33 minutes as Lawrence got through on goal but the Saints stopper denied him with a brilliant save.

Derby had other half chances too. Bryson, Harry Wilson and Lawrence all fired off target, while David Nugent lifted over the bar after being played in by a simple ball over the top.

The best Saints could manage in the first half were a few bright moves that didn’t result in an opening and a Nathan Redmond effort that went well wide.

Hughes made two changes at the break, handing Jannik Vestergaard a Saints debut and introducing Steven Davis.

He also changed formation from a 3-4-2-1 to a 4-2-3-1 with Jack Stephens moving over to right back.

Vestergaard had an early chance to get on the scoresheet but his header from a James Ward-Prowse free kick four minutes into the second period was straight at the keeper before Stuart Armstrong worked Scott Carson.

But it was Derby who took the lead on 58 minutes as Vestergaard had a moment to forget.

The Danish centre half slid in to try and win the ball and seemed to get there but failed to make contact allowing David Nugent in one-on-one and the former Pompey man made no mistake finishing into the far corner.

Ryan Bertrand tried to get Saints back into it but saw a shot saved before Derby stepped it up.

They made it 2-0 on 71 minutes as Lawrence breezed past Wesley Hoedt and with Vestergaard unable to get across drove a low finish past McCarthy.

Saints’ frustration was complete nine minutes from time as the Rams added a third.

Florian Jozefzoon got in on goal and though McCarthy made a superb save only Mason Bennett was alert to the follow-up and slid it into an empty net.

Hughes now takes his squad away to France for a week of training and a friendly against Dijon before returning home to face Celta Vigo and Borussia Monchengladbach at St Mary’s.

Saints: McCarthy, Ward-Prowse (Reed 63), Stephens (Clasie 80), Hoedt, Bertrand (McQueen 80), Targett (Vestergaard 45), Lemina (Gallagher 80), Armstrong (Romeu 63), Elyounoussi (Davis 45), Redmond (Hojbjerg 63), Austin (Gabbiadini 63).