James Scowcroft grabbed a hat-trick as Crystal Palace romped to victory. The Palace striker rose to head in Stuart Green's corner and seconds later he outmuscled Alan Bennett and lobbed Bartosz Bialkowski to make it 2-0.
Marek Saganowski pulled a goal back for Southampton on half-time, crashing the ball home after Youssef Safri's pass
But Scowcroft nodded in his third after the break following a Bialkowski mistake and Clinton Morrison swept in the fourth from Mark Kennedy's cross.
Southampton manager George Burley:
"We lost a number of players over the summer, so we are very much in a rebuilding process. "The result today wasn't really fair on the balance of play.
"It will be a big challenge to wheel and deal to try to keep us competitive in this league, but that is what we will have to attempt to do."
Crystal Palace boss Peter Taylor on Scowcroft:
"James does not score enough goals. We had a chat in pre-season, and I told him that. It is something he has to look at. "He always wants to join in the play, but he has to learn to get closer to the box and closer to the goal.
"We under-achieved last season, so this is a nice start to the new campaign."
Southampton: Bialkowski, Ostlund, Bennett, Makin, Vignal (Skacel 67), Viafara (Hammill 63), Wright, Safri, Surman, Saganowski (Wright-Phillips 76), Rasiak.
Subs Not Used: Davis, McGoldrick.
Booked: Viafara, Makin.
Goals: Saganowski 45.
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Cort, Hudson, Craig, Green, Watson, Soares, Kennedy (Butterfield 68), Morrison (Kuqi 62), Scowcroft (Freedman 75).
Subs Not Used: Flinders, Martin.
Goals: Scowcroft 30, 31, 55, Morrison 57.
Att: 25,054.
Ref: L Probert (Gloucestershire).
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