SOUTHAMPTON 2 (McGoldrick 37, John 76)
STOKE CITY 3 (Kitson 2, Pericard 74, Hatch (og) 80)

City continued their impressive pre-season form after ousting Southampton 3-2 in a competitive friendly at St Mary's.

Dave Kitson put the Potters ahead on two minutes, before David McGoldrick squared things up on 37 minutes.

Vincent Pericard stroked home a screamer to put the Potters back in to the lead in the second half, before Stern John pegged City back for a second time just a minute later.

However, with just ten minutes remaining, Tony Pulis' side chalked up their fifth win from six thanks to an own goal from Saints defender Jamie Hatch, after more good work from the impressive Pericard.

Tony Pulis handed Seyi Olofinjana his first start for the club following his £3,000,000 move from Wolves, while Denmark number one Thomas Sorensen made his first appearance as a second half substitute.

Leon Cort returned to the starting line up after recovering from a minor thigh strain which he picked up in Austria, while Kitson continued up front partnering Mamady Sidibe.

Liam Lawrence wasn't involved in the squad for the game, despite travelling with the squad to the South coast.

A frantic start to the game could have seen the hosts ahead after just 17 seconds. McGoldrick burst in to the box from the kick off but drilled his effort over the bar.

However, just 60 seconds later it was the Potters who drew first blood. Kitson met Sidibe's neat flick on with aplomb and smashed home his first goal for the Potters, much to the delight of the travelling 223 City supporters.

The visitors continued to dominate the early proceedings with Anthony Pulis warming the palms of Kelvin Davis with a long range effort.

Former Sunderland stopper Davis was then forced to produce an outstanding save minutes later to thwart Pulis, who went even closer with a strike which was expertly tipped around the post.

A combination of Simonsen and Cort denied Adam Lallana the chance to equalise in the 17th minute, after the Saints striker looked set to level from close range, before the City pair cleared the danger.

Carl Dickinson was forced off shortly after, having fallen awkwardly under a challenge from a Southampton midfielder.

Malian international Sidibe could have doubled the advantage for the visitors mid way through the first half, but after latching on to Olofinjana's clever header, his effort was well blocked by former City defender Wayne Thomas.

Jan Poortvliet's side went close just after the half hour through Lallana, who after beating two defenders drilled a 25-yard effort inches wide of the right hand post.

Pulis shuffled things about a bit with a change in the 34th minute, replacing Cresswell with former Southampton loanee Vincent Pericard.

The hosts pressure paid off in the 37th minute as McGoldrick cleverly controlled and turned in the penalty area before flashing his effort across Simonsen and in to the bottom left hand corner.

Simonsen had to be alert on several occasions before the end of the first half, firstly to thwart Lallana and then to save from the impressive Jake Thomson.

Both managers made wholesale changes during the half time interval, with the hosts lining up a totally different eleven, while City welcomed Sorensen, Salif Diao, Jon Parkin and Danny Pugh to the field.

Saints youngster Jamie White gave former Aston Villa keeper Sorensen his first taste of action in the 61st minute, with a thunderous effort which the City keeper superbly reacted to.

Lewis Buxton was next to be brought on, with Cort making way for the former Portsmouth youngster.

The hosts almost found themselves 2-1 up mid-way through the second half, after Sorensen let the ball slip through his palms, only for Grzegorz Rasiak to have his effort cleared off the line by Wilkinson.

It was City though who would take the lead with just over 15 minutes remaining.

Pericard picked the ball up 40-yards out, danced past a defender and launched a thunderous effort which dipped beyond the outstretched hands of Bartosz Bailkowski and in to the top left hand corner.

The lead lasted barely two minutes though, as last seasons top goalscorer John headed home unmarked from 6-yards.

An injury to Shawcross in the 79th minute led to Cort making his way back on to the field in bizarre circumstances.

With the game looking likely to end all square, City snatched a deserved victory late on after Pericard, who impressed, beat three defenders, rounded the keeper and then watched Jamie Hatch knock the ball in to his own net after trying to clear the ball away from danger.

SOUTHAMPTON (1st Half): Davis; James, Perry (C), Thomas, Surman; Thomson, Schneiderlin, Gullett, Holmes; Lallana, McGoldrick.

SOUTHAMPTON (2nd Half): Bialkowski; Hatch, Thomas, Racine, Mills; Dyer, White, Wotton (C), Wright-Phillips; John, Rasiak.

CITY: Simonsen (Sorensen 46); Griffin (C), Cort (Buxton 63), Shawcross (Cort 79), Dickinson (Wilkinson 28); Delap, Olofinjana (Diao 49), Pulis, Cresswell (Pericard 34); Sidibe (Pugh 49), Kitson (Parkin 49). Sub (Not Used): Whelan.