DANNY Ings scored one penalty and missed another before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg ensured Saints completed their unbeaten pre-season with a comfortable 2-0 win against FC Koln at St Mary’s.

Ralph Hasenhuttl may not have been there to see it but he will have received encouraging updates on Che Adams, who assisted both goals while displaying the attributes that persuaded Saints to pay £15m for his services, while playing 63 minutes of his first match at St Mary’s.

Adams won the first penalty in the third minute after being brought down by Rafael Czichos as he attempted to beat his man down the inside-right channel.

The 22 year-old has scored his three pre-season goals in the opening six minutes of matches against Altach, Guangzhou and Feyenoord.

But it was Ings who stepped up to take the spot kick and he confidently sent the Koln goalkeeper the wrong way by feigning to shoot, before rolling the ball into the opposite corner.

 

 

Angus Gunn was called into action in the seventh minute, confidently beating Jhon Cordoba’s shot away when the Colombian escaped down the left and attempted to find the far corner with a right-footed curling effort.

The first impressions of Adams continued to be very good.

He linked up well with Yan Valery to win a corner and displayed his strength by holding off three defenders before showing great awareness with a wonderful slide-rule pass between two defenders to find Ryan Bertrand.

Bertrand’s shot was saved and rebounded just out of reach of Ings, but Adams continued to encourage the 14,871 crowd with his skill and work rate.

Adams displayed more strength to win a free kick from which Saints won a corner. 

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg flashed a 20-yarder wide and the midfielder won Saints their second penalty in the 21st minute.

Trying to burst through two defenders, he was barged off the ball by Kingsley Ozezule Ehizibue.

Ings again stepped up but this time fluffed his lines in front of the Northam

Stand, as a very poor penalty kept Koln in the game.

After again stopping before striking the ball, Ings rolled it tamely straight at goalkeeper Timo Horn, who had remained stationary. 

Ings was replaced by Michael Obafemi at half-time and, soon after Antony Modeste missed a gilt-edged opportunity inside the Saints penalty area, the teenager played a key role in doubling the lead.

After being put away down the right flank he cut on to his left foot and played in Hojbjerg, who exchanged passes with Adams before tapping in from close range.

A Bertrand free-kick was punched clear and then a low cross from the left-back was turned behind for a corner as Saints threatened a third.

Bertrand was then taken off as Saints made five substitutions, with Cedric and Sofiane Boufal among those introduced, while Adams was replaced by Shane Long.

Hojbjerg threatened to score another with a 25-yard free kick that flew just over the bar and Saints played the last 15 minutes with a back four after Stuart Armstrong replaced Jannik Vestergaard.

Obafemi was subbed after little more than half an hour of game-time, with no apparent sign of injury, when new signing Moussa Djenepo came on for the last ten minutes.

Gunn ensured a clean sheet by diving to his left to keep out the last kick of the game, a 25-yard free-kick.  

SAINTS (5-3-2): Gunn, Valery, Vestergaard (Armstrong 75), Bednarek, Stephens (Yoshida 63), Bertrand (Cedric 63); Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse (Romeu 63); Redmond (Boufal 63), Ings (Obafemi 45) (Djenepo 79), Adams (Long 63).

Unused sub: Forster