SAINTS FC Women required four second half goals to beat Hashtag United 4-1 in a pre-season friendly on Sunday.

Marieanne Spacey-Cale's side were twice denied by the woodwork in the first half after Emma Samways gave the visitors an unlikely lead.

A brace from substitute Sophia Pharoah and goals from Lucia Kendell and Paige Peake helped Southampton FC complete the second half comeback.

Saints entered their final home friendly having gone unbeaten during pre-season, including a 14-1 thrashing of third-tier Billericay Town.

Alice Griffiths went close on 15 minutes as Hashtag United limited the home side to shots from a distance.

Hashtag saw their penalty appeals turned down when the ball appeared to strike Milly Mott’s arm before Esme Lancaster attempted to chip Kayla Rendell from 25 yards out.

After dominating the opening proceedings Saints went behind against the run of play on 35 minutes when Samways made no mistake after pinching a loose ball.

Megan Collett was denied an instant equaliser just two minutes later when her long-range effort crashed off both posts.

It was then Kendell’s turn to be denied by the woodwork – her effort from 25 yards hitting the bar just before the break.

The hosts continued to pile on the pressure in the second half and eventually got their equaliser through Pharoah on 57 minutes – the substitute stabbing home from a corner.

The woodwork denied Pharoah a quickfire second before Kendell smashed into an empty net minutes later to complete Southampton’s turnaround.

Pharoah headed the ball past Frankie Angel with 10 minutes of regular time remaining to seal the win for Saints.

Not content with a two-goal victory margin, Peake smashed the ball in from the edge of the box in injury time to cap off a much-improved second half performance.

Saints: Rendell (Howard, 89); Collett (Wynne, 66), Mott (Milne, 89), Peake, Parnell; Purfield, Griffiths, Peplow (Rafferty, 73), Kendall; Wilkinson (Pike, h-t), Lloyd-Smith (Pharoah, h-t)

Hashtag United: Angel; Lancester (Garwood, 52), Lumley, Gillard, Alpindia; Griffin (Keough, 52), West (Marne, 79) Baker (Cresswell, 63), Kelly (Saulo, 79), Samways (Lampett, 63); Rowland