SAINTS went behind for a second time in three pre-season outings but recovered to beat Sport Republic's Valenciennes 2-1 in 120 minutes.
The second tier of England met the third division of France in two 60-minute matches behind closed doors at Staplewood with two different XIs.
Sami Baghdadi and Cameron Archer scored the goals in an anything-but-friendly 1-1 first half of the encounter between Dragan Solak's clubs.
Adam Armstrong rifled in a rebound to kick off the second match, which was even more drab than the first as his was the sole contribution to a 1-0.
Saints are set to step up their preparation for the Championship next week in Girona, with this fixture coming at the end of a gruelling period of training.
Manager Will Still had the same squad available to him as he had for Tuesday's 4-1 win against Gillingham, minus Tyler Dibling and Kuryu Matsuki.
Dibling, 19, was out following a knock against Gills, with Saints insistent that his absence is not transfer-related, while Matsuki nursed a tight quad.
There was no return for Mateus Fernandes, Jan Bednarek or Ronnie Edwards, despite the three having now returned to training with Saints.
CEO Phil Parsons, director of football operations Mark Bitcon and Sport Republic's academy boss Andy Goldie were all among those in attendance.
The club's new yellow and blue away strip got its first outing in the Southampton sun, and looks as good on the players as it does in store.
A lovely pass from Jack Stephens set Sam Edozie away for the first Saints chance of the match, but it was turned behind for a corner-kick.
Nathan Wood headed wide from the set-piece, but looked imperious in the opening stages and was tidy in possession, showing flair with the ball.
The defence had their work cut out as the French visitors proved an effective pressing team, trapping Stephens to snatch possession for their goal.
Baghdadi then powered past Aaron Ramsdale from inside the box to give the French third-tier side the lead midway through the first period.
They missed a chance to go two ahead when Sam Edozie inadvertently played the opponents through on goal with an overhit back pass.
Edozie did put things right with a dangerous header across the Valenciennes box, but Ben Brereton Diaz’s fierce volley whistled past the post.
That was Southampton's first open-play chance of the day and brought the first 30-minute period to an end, with frustration beginning to simmer.
Brereton Diaz had been locked up by Derrick Abu, released by Saints this summer, and resorted to fouling the youngster to make his point.
Flynn Downes limped off six minutes into the second period, with 18 year old academy youngster Moses Sesay on his replacement for 25 minutes.
Archer - who had otherwise struggled to get into the game at all - equalised for Saints in the 45th minute, making it three in three for the striker.
Brereton Diaz and Sesay won possession in midfield before a slick sequence between Ryan Fraser and Shea Charles saw the latter assist Archer.
It was a relief for the team's attacking players, who had lacked connection and quality, even for a friendly match just two weeks into pre-season.
On-field spats took up most of the remainder, with Edozie lucky to escape red for a bad tackle, and Wood and Gaetan Courtet both booked by the referee.
Frenchman Courtet, furious at a coming together with Wood, was warned that one more word from his mouth would result in a red card - before he launched an unpunished two-minute rant at Still on the touchline.
Somehow, both teams made it to the break with a full 11 players still on the field, and Still changed to a 3-4-2-1 system with his second team.
Charlie Taylor wore the captain's armband again, as he did against Gillingham, playing to the left of Joshua Quarshie and Joachim Kayi Sanda.
Armstrong struck the opener of the second encounter, turning in a rebound after Ross Stewart was denied from Joe Aribo's looping through pass.
Quarshie, who was significantly more talkative than many of his teammates, later had a header well-saved from an in-swinging Will Smallbone corner.
Joe Aribo was involved in the first skirmish of the second game, warring with a defender while awaiting a corner, but it was quickly resolved.
Very little more happened. The only time Alex McCarthy touched the ball was when Jay Robinson was pressed to pass back to his goalkeeper.
Still had his players run nine kilometers on Thursday to test them while they were exhausted - something not normally done the day before a game.
First 60 minutes
Saints: Ramsdale; Bree, Stephens, Wood, Manning; Charles, Downes (Sesay, 36), Edozie, Fraser, Brereton Diaz; Archer.
Second 60 minutes
Saints: McCarthy; Sugawara, Kayi Sanda, Quarshie, Taylor, Welington; Smallbone, Aribo (Sesay, 50); Armstrong, Robinson (Dipepa, 50), Stewart.
Goals
Cameron Archer, Adam Armstrong.
