Southampton took on Bundesliga side SC Paderborn 07 in the a different side in each half friendly on Wednesday, so what can we take from what turned out to be a late narrow defeat.

Once again it was a case of Tonda Eckert given most of his squad a game with the two Saints teams lining up as follows.

Southampton (first half): Peretz, Bree, Harwood-Bellis (c), Wood, Manning, Downes, Bragg, Brereton Díaz, Matsuki, Scienza, Downs (Dobson-Ventura 38) .

Southampton (second half): Peretz, Kayi Sanda, Stephens (c), Quarshie, Welington, O'Brien-Whitmarsh, Akachukwu, Robinson, Dobbin, Archer, Oyekunle.

I hot temperatures the game was always going to be a tough one for both teams, the first real chance of the half came after Leo Scienza fed Ryan Manning whose cross low and hard across the goal seemed destined to reach to reach Damion Downs on 10 minutes, it looked like the opening goal of the game might arrive, but a Paderborn defender managed to get in before Downs to knock the ball for a corner.

But Downs chances of making it two goals in two games in Germany ended when after a mid air collision he went down seemingly injuring his back and was withdrawn just before the break.

The game came to life in the second half only minutes after the restart and it was Lewis Dobbin who continued his impressive form since joining the club who scored it.

The former Aston Villa man scored from the rebound after seeing his initial header saved by the keeper.

But it was always going to be hard work in the second half, in Joachim Kayi Sanda, O'Brien- Whitmarsh, Akachukwu & Oyekunle we had 4 youngsters in the side, plus Jay Robinson who too is relatively inexperienced.

That meant that most of the second half saw us sitting deep and going on the counter as Paderborn looked to get back on level terms.

It was starting to look like a victory until the 85th minute when the Germans drew level with a spectacular bicycle kick.

It got worse 4 minutes later when the winner came.

There won't be too much disappointment in the Southampton camp, there were plenty of plus points to be taken from the game.

The main one being the performance of the youngsters who will have done their standing in the pecking order no harm.

Now we move on to the final friendly against Munster on Saturday, where it will be more of the same I suspect.

I think that Tonda see's the Carabao cup game against Colchester as more the final build up game of the season than anything else and although we may fit in another behind closed doors friendly next week, where we may or may not play a line up that could be considered more first team than a mish mash side, Colchester will be the first time we get serious.

All Photos Via Reuters