BAA 3 Southampton Rangers 4

Southampton Rangers came from behind three times to win 4-3 in extra time as captain Ezekiel Stoneham completed a hat-trick to end BAA’s hopes of a third straight Shield Trophy triumph.

Both teams had a player sent off in the second half of extra time after a clash between Drewonde Bascome of BAA and Rangers defender Jahkai Hill. Bascome received a straight red for violent conduct and Hill a second booking.

The two promotion sides produced an entertaining semi-final at PHC Field with four goals coming in the first half. BAA took the lead through Willie Clemons when he steered his low shot past goalkeeper Sean Perinchief.

Rangers pressure paid off when they equalised late in the first half when Jahkai Dyer was sent through, beating goalkeeper Eunico Trott at the near post before Stoneham forced the ball over the line.

Two more goals came in the closing minutes of the half as BAA regained the lead through Clemons in the 43rd minute. But they gifted Rangers a second equaliser a minute later when Stoneham’s seemingly harmless shot from the edge of the area spun out of the clutches of Trott and rolled over the line.

BAA went back in front in the 63rd minute when Kane Critchlow scored from a free kick. Substitute Kamau Leverock almost made it 4-2, but he had to stretch to meet a cross from Critchlow before lifting his effort over the bar.

Donte Brangman levelled for Rangers to send the game into extra time when Stoneham scored what proved to be the winner after following up a free kick and scoring the rebound.

“I’m not surprised we were able to pull it back, the team has shown a lot of character throughout the season,” said Jomar Wilkinson, the Rangers coach. “This is nothing new for us. I’m proud of them today.

“We came up here with something to prove, we were disappointed with the result in the last game against them [2-2] and we wanted to make it right. It’s unfortunate their goalkeeper made that error but that’s part of the game.

“We never took our foot off the pedal and never stopped believing. It’s a testament to what we’re doing at Rangers. Hats off to BAA; they gave us a good game.”

* Tonight Paget Lions play Wolves in the Shield Trophy semi-finals at Goose Gosling Field at 7pm, before North Village take on defending champions Devonshire Cougars in the Friendship Trophy semi-finals at 9pm.

BAA (4-4-2): E Trott — J Salaam, T Burgess, Q Lema, N Hardtman (sub: D Leverock, 55min) — I Simmons, M Iris, T Tucker (sub: C Aroujo, 102), K Critchlow (sub: J Furbert, 85) — D Bascome, W Clemons. Substitutes not used: A Darrell, J Hartman, A Kempe. Booked: Hartman, Clemons. Sent off: Bascome.

Southampton (4-3-3): S Perinchief — J Hill, D Cox, R Sampson, M Nisbett-Tankard — Q Maynard, E Stoneham, I Taylor — S Coddington-Burchall (sub: K Symonds, 71), J Dyer (sub: K Durrant, 71), D Brangman. Substitutes not used: D Steede, N Raynor, L Simons, N Mello. Booked: J Hill, Perinchief. Sent off: Hill.

Referee: W Maxwell.