Saints end pre-season with narrow Alkmaar defeat

Half-time substitute Mayckel Lahdo struck the winner 20 minutes into the second period in a good test for Russell Martin’s side against last season’s UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finalists, who finished fourth domestically.

Saints’ brightest attacking spark was Carlos Alcaraz, who tried his luck with a number of shots from distance, but this was not a day when chances flowed for either side.

After a tepid start in which both sides exchanged long periods of possession, an unexpected flashpoint arrived when Jack Stephens kicked out at Vangelis Pavlidis and picked up a yellow card. Retaliation, the Saints man would argue, having just been caught late by the striker as he strode out of defence with the ball.

Jack Stephens gets into a confrontation following a clash with Vangelis Pavlidis

Saints’ best moment of the half came via a cute first-time pass around the corner from Alcaraz, who instantly seized on the return lay-off from Adam Armstrong with a curling shot, but it sailed a couple of yards wide of the rooted goalkeeper’s left-hand post.

Then Sam Edozie’s trickery down the left carried him into the box before he was seemingly taken out by right-back Yukinari Sugawara, but no penalty was forthcoming, much to the winger’s disbelief.

Neither goalkeeper was called into action until midway through the first half, when Gavin Bazunu was sent sprawling to his right to gather Jesper Karlsson’s powerful low drive.

Nathan Tella was busy, hassling AZ’s last defender into losing the ball on the edge of his own box, only for former Brighton keeper Mathew Ryan to pounce on it, before the lively wide man was sent tumbling by Mees De Wit, who went into the book.

Elsewhere, Will Smallbone headed off target from a James Ward-Prowse free-kick when many may have expected the skipper to go for goal, while Stephens got a crucial toe to a low cross to prevent it reaching an Alkmaar attacker on the penalty spot.

Alcaraz tried his luck with another long ranger before half time, just clearing the crossbar with another clean strike, this time with his left foot.

Nathan Tella tries to round Mathew Ryan, but the ex-Premier League stopper reads his intentions

Martin’s only change at the interval was to take off Tino Livramento, who did look to have picked up a knock in the act of being tackled, fairly, in the closing stages of the first period.

The manager resisted making further substitutions until the final 20 minutes, by which time Alkmaar had edged in front through one of their own replacements.

When De Wit escaped down the left and crossed low, Lahdo was left alone to connect with a firm side-foot that Bazunu very nearly saved but was unable to keep out.

Saints’ biggest threat was still Alcaraz, who kept trying his luck until his 73rd-minute departure, seeing one shot deflect wide before stinging the palms of Ryan.

Substitute Sam Amo-Ameyaw nearly unlocked the door with a clever reverse pass into Smallbone in the box, but the midfielder could not find the far corner with his left-footed curler.

Saints: Bazunu, Livramento (Walker-Peters 46), Charles, Stephens, Manning (Lyanco 73), Ward-Prowse (Lavia 73), Smallbone, Alcaraz (Adams 73), Tella (Bree 86), A. Armstrong, Edozie (Amo-Ameyaw 73).

Subs not used: Bycroft, Djenepo, Onuachu.

Yellow cards: Stephens 15.

AZ Alkmaar: Ryan, Sugawara, Bazoer (Penetra 61), Hatzidiakos (Wolfe 74), M. De Wit, Mijnans (Dantas 61), Clasie (Goudmijn 74), Poku (Lahdo 46), Mihailovic (van Brederode 46), Karlsson (D. De Wit 46), Pavlidis.

Subs not used: Deen, Kuijsten, van Bommel, Meerdink, Kasius.

Goals: Lahdo 65.

Yellow cards: M. De Wit 24.

Referee: Keith Stroud.

Attendance: 7,277.