The Saints XI side tasted a narrow 2-1 defeat at Havant & Waterlooville on Tuesday evening.
The visitors lined up once again in their new black away strip as Havant took to the field in all white on a drizzly evening at Westleigh Park.
However, it was the hosts that were fastest out of the traps as they took an early lead through midfielder Wes Fogden, who slipped the ball past young shot stopper Jack Dovey inside the opening two minutes of play, having latched on to a throughball down the centre.
Moments later, Jordace Holder-Spooner went close as he used his strength and pace to break into the Havant half before seeing his low stinging shot pushed away by goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore.
On 27 though the hosts doubled their lead, when Bobby Hopkinson threaded in forward Sammy Igoe, and the striker used his vast experience in front of goal to lash home inside the area.
Saints tried to hit back instantly but saw trialist midfielder Scott Shulton's direct free-kick, which went straight in, chalked off for an apparent infringement.
Igoe tried his luck from distance towards the end of the first half, but Dovey was equal to his slightly ambitious effort.
Three minutes before the break, skipper Anthony Pulis was forced off with a knock and Andy Robinson replaced him in the centre of the park, leaving Saints having to regroup during the interval.
Half Time: Havant 2-0 Saints XI
Martin Hunter made no further changes during half time, as the hosts made three substitutions, altering their central defensive partnership and the goalkeeper.
A quieter start to the second period was broken up by more changes before Saints threatened again on the hour mark, when Holder-Spooner supplied a cross from the right which trialist Harlee Dean headed towards goal but saw his effort saved at point blank range.
Shortly afterwards Saints changed their frontline, with Isgrove and Doble making way for Sam Hoskins and Tony Garrod to put the pressure on in the final third.
And with just over a quarter of an hour left to play, Saints pulled one back with a fine low strike from Holder-Spooner. The winger took Sam Argent's ball in from the right down on to his chest before turning and shooting into the bottom corner to reduce the deficit.
Holder-Spooner showed his persistence to create a chance for Shulton from 12 yards, but the 'keeper was equal to the midfielder's goalbound effort with just over ten minutes remaining.
Late on, first year scholars Corby Moore and Joe Curtis replaced Holder-Spooner and Shulton, whilst the last chance of the game fell to Hoskins, who blazed over with the last kick of the match.
Full Time: Havant 2-1 Saints XI.
Havant (starting XI): Ashmore, Newton, McDonald, Selley, Tyrell, Simpemba, Fogden, Hopkinson, Igoe, Tiryaki, Hinshelwood.
Saints XI: Jack Dovey, Sam Argent, Aarran Racine, Ryan Tafazolli, Ben Reeves, Anthony Pulis (Andy Robinson 42), Harlee Dean, Scott Shulton (Corby Moore 83), Jordace Holder-Spooner (Joe Curtis 83), Lloyd Isgrove, Ryan Doble.
New Under-21s coach Martin Hunter was pleased to get a first look at the players he will be working with in the coming weeks and months.
"I was pleased with a lot of the approach play and the chances that we created on top of having a goal disallowed in the first half," he told saintsfc.co.uk after the match.
"In the second half I was particularly pleased as Jason Dodd and I put across a few things which they took on board, so they finished the game strongly.
"It's about the way that they play at this stage, and they're going to get better. We'll be putting high demands on them and they need to take that on board if they're going to progress through the club.
"The players have certainly tried to do the things that we've asked them to do from an attacking point of view in the short time that I've been here, but there were a couple of really basic errors in the first half that caused the goals.
"We have another test at Basingstoke on Saturday though and hopefully we'll improve on what we've achieved this evening."
