Report: Saints score three again in win over Montpellier

That was despite two missed penalties in Girona, though Kamaldeen Sulemana tapped home the rebound after seeing the first of those saved inside four minutes.

Montpellier are an established top-flight side in France and had their moments in the first half, as Alex McCarthy made a couple of saves and twice saw the woodwork come to his aid.

But Saints doubled the lead just before half time when Tyler Dibling fired home a long pass out from the back by Ronnie Edwards.

Former Sunderland man Wahbi Khazri pulled one back from a free-kick, but Saints instantly restored their two-goal advantage through Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s header on 55 minutes.

Sékou Mara might have added a fourth only to be thwarted by a different goalkeeper after fellow substitute Sam Amo-Ameyaw was fouled in the box, but it was another job well done for Saints in Spain.

There was a lively start to the action, as both teams traded chances in an eventful first ten minutes.

It was Saints who struck first, as Samuel Edozie combined with Joe Aribo and drew a foul from Enzo Tchato, inviting Kamaldeen to step up.

His initial penalty was saved by goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, stooping to his right, but the ball escaped his grasp and rolled invitingly along the goal line for Kamaldeen to convert.

Kamaldeen Sulemana easily taps in the rebound after his early penalty was saved

Saints might have doubled their lead soon after the restart when the same duo combined from the penalty incident, as Aribo crossed low, presenting a chance for Edozie that should have been finished, but the winger just couldn’t adjust his body to direct the ball on target from six yards.

Montpellier, who finished 12th in Ligue 1 last season, responded with a good spell themselves, sparked by an uncharacteristic lapse from McCarthy in the Saints goal.

When the ball was teed up for Yanis Issoufou to strike from the edge of the box, it looked a routine save for the keeper, but the shot slipped through his fingers and was bouncing into the net until a miraculous recovery saw the veteran stopper claw the ball behind for a corner.

As the French team kept the pressure on, McCarthy was called upon once more, this time to deny Arnaud Nordin down by his near post, as the woodwork also played its part in keeping the ball out.

Saints composed themselves and pieced together an outstanding team move on 25 minutes. Charlie Taylor’s pass inside to Will Smallbone gave the midfielder space to drive forward, trading passes with Edozie and gliding to the byline, but Lecomte was on hand to deny Aribo from Smallbone’s cutback.

There were further first-half chances for both sides after a drinks break at the half-hour mark, starting with another Nordin shot against the frame of the goal after he raced through down the Saints left.

The Saints starting line-up for the friendly, which kicked off at 10am BST

Back came Saints as Kamaldeen’s close-range effort bounced up off goalkeeper Lecomte and dropped into the path of Edozie, but the winger missed his kick, before Dibling forced a low save.

McCarthy was busy again when Akor Adams met a far-post cross with a header too close to the keeper, before Saints doubled their lead in the final minute of the half.

Edwards, one of four Saints replaced at the interval, strode out of defence and delivered a perfect pass over the top for Dibling, who headed the bouncing ball into his own path and buried a low right-footed shot inside the near post to enhance his growing reputation.

Montpellier made a host of changes themselves, and took just seven minutes to halve the deficit after the restart.

After Flynn Downes was booked for a foul on the edge of the box, Khazri stepped up and floated a delicate free-kick over the wall that left McCarthy no chance.

But Saints were undeterred, and soon regained their two-goal lead from a set-piece of their own.

Awarded near the left corner of the box, Yukinari Sugawara delivered a telling cross headed home by half-time arrival Harwood-Bellis.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis heads home Saints' third goal

The rest of the Saints substitutes were introduced just after the hour mark, including youngsters Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh and Sam Amo-Ameyaw.

Amo-Ameyaw forced a low save from a similar position to his midweek goal against Bordeaux, before the pair combined to send Amo-Ameyaw dribbling into the box and winning Saints’ second penalty of the morning.

Mara had scored in each of Saints’ first two friendlies, including a successful penalty at Eastleigh, but on this occasion couldn’t find the net, as Belmin Dizdarević read his intentions and saved comfortably down to his left.

Amo-Ameyaw continued to impress, sliding a pass through for O’Brien-Whitmarsh, whose clip across goal just eluded the far post and the onrushing Jay Robinson, as Saints finished the game with a rookie frontline.

Saints were indebted to James Bree’s last-ditch tackle right at the end, helped by some inexplicable dallying from Mousa Al-Tamari, who seemingly had the goal at his mercy but declined to shoot.

Saints: McCarthy, Sugawara (Bree 63), Edwards (Harwood-Bellis 45), Bednarek (Wood 45), Taylor (Manning 63), Downes (c) (Charles 63), Smallbone (O’Brien-Whitmarsh 63), Aribo (Alcaraz 63), Kamaldeen (Amo-Ameyaw 45), Dibling (Mara 45), Edozie (Robinson 63).

Saints goals: Kamaldeen (4’), Dibling (45’), Harwood-Bellis (55’).

Saints yellow card: Downes.

Montpellier goal: Khazri (52’).

Montpellier yellow card: Barres.