Battling Rangers boost survival chances
In a reversal of fortunes from the previous weekend, Southampton Rangers defeated North Village at Southampton Oval, courtesy of an early second-half strike by Jesse Seymour to boost their survival chances.
On a cold, damp and blustery day, Rangers and Village, who beat their opponents 2-1 in the FA Cup last weekend, struggled to master the conditions and seize the upper hand. It was Rangers who struck first through Thomas Brown in the seventeenth minute.
Rangers’ Shaki Swan fired in a low corner kick that eluded everyone, except the boot of Brown who skilfully flicked the ball over the head of Village goalkeeper, Troy Hall.
As is customary of Village’s style of play, they fought back valiantly and were unlucky not to even the score in the 30th minute after Takehyi Walker sent Keishen Bean through on goal.
Bean beat two Rangers defenders, powered his way into the penalty area and unleashed a vicious shot that was brilliantly smothered by Rangers’ goalkeeper, Jason Smith.
Five minutes later, Village forward Jason Lee got behind the Rangers defence but was denied by Smith as he tried to round the goalkeeper.
Rangers’ good fortune would continue in the 50th minute when Seymour stepped up to take a free kick from deep outside the penalty area, which found its way through a crowded goalmouth to nestle inside the near upright.
In the 63rd minute, Village’s Bean blew his second opportunity to get his team back into contention when Rangers’ substitute goalkeeper, Corey Richardson, who was brought on after Smith was sent off, pulled of an acrobatic save to maintain Rangers’ two-goal cushion.
As the game progressed, tackling by both teams became fiercer, as referee, Anthony Francis, dispensed yellow cards with greater regularity in an effort to settle the players and wrestle control of the game.
Village were rewarded with their second penalty in the 75th minute after a handball by a Ranger’s defender in the area.
Player-coach, Ralph Bean who had come on as a substitute 15 minutes earlier, calmly stepped up to place his low shot home.
Southampton Rangers (4-4-2): J Smith — (sub: C Richardson, 63min) — E Stoneham (sub: T Lowe, 90), J Dyer, A Rocker, V.Perinchief — K Tucker, M Tankard, S Swan, J Seymour — J Tucker (sub: J Hill, 86), T Brown. Substitutes not used: N Mello, K Astwood, T Lowe, K Symonds. Booked: J Tucker, S Swan. Sent off: J Smith.
North Village (4-3-3): T Hall — J Bailey, K Bean, J Briers, T Burgess — D Daniels (sub: R Bean, 60), J Davis, R DeShields — J Lee (sub: J Dickinson, 62), P Smith, T Walker (sub: K Smith, 83).
Substitutes not used: P Castle, N Smith.
Referee: A Francis.
