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Perinchief double fires Rangers to quarter-finals

Southampton 2 St. George’s 1Two well-struck second-half goals by midfielder Vernon Perinchief, including the winner three minutes into injury time, earned Southampton Rangers victory in this FA Cup replay at Southampton Oval and the right to meet Robin Hood in this weekend’s quarter-finals.Perinchief, who missed last weekend’s 2-2 league draw against St. George’s because of suspension, returned in spectacular fashion and dealt a cruel blow to the visitors who, for the firth time this season, took the lead against Rangers but could not hold on.The St. George’s attack was boosted by the return of Mackie Crane and Allan Douglas and the East Enders were unlucky not to score inside the first minute of play when the pair combined on the edge of the Rangers box. Crane knocked the ball down for the onrushing Douglas who, with plenty of time and space, blasted his shot well over the bar from 18 yards.Minutes later Rangers keeper Jason Smith made a crucial sliding save at the feet of Jahron Dickinson after the winger was put clear by a ball through the defence. St. George’s were enjoying the better of the first half exchanges and at times hardly looked like a team struggling at the wrong end of the Premier Division tables.They got their reward on the half-hour when Douglas found the net when his intended cross from deep on the right sailed over Smith and dropped inside the far post. Douglas had taken a pass, shrugged off a challenge and then raced near the goalline before swinging in a high cross that beat Smith in the windy conditions.Midfielder Jarreau Hayward had a good chance to double the St. George’s lead late in the half when he put a shot over the bar from a good position. Rangers’ best effort of the half came just before the interval when the ball was half cleared from a corner and fell to Janeiro Tucker whose volley from 25 yards brought off a brilliant diving save from keeper Mishael Paynter. Even St. George’s assistant coach Freddy Hall, a goalkeeper himself, leaped off the bench to applaud the save.Rangers began playing with more purpose from the start of the second half and were rewarded with one of the best goals of the season in the 53rd minute when Perinchief smashed a shot from the left side of the penalty box that whistled into the far corner with Paynter diving in vain.The 26-year-old Perinchief was playing a key role for Rangers now and six minutes later also grabbed another when he took a pass from coach Marvin Belboda, a second-half substitution, and lobbed his shot against the crossbar.Then Paynter tipped a cross from a Belboda corner over the bar as the home team continued to press for a second goal. Their ‘keeper required treatment for a leg injury after taking a knock as the game was held up for several minutes, and it was during several minutes of injury time that Rangers found a winner and also had a player sent off as the sometimes ill-tempered match came to a tense finish.Belboda laid on a pass for Perinchief near the edge of the box and the midfielder smashed his shot inside Paynter’s right-hand post. There was still plenty of time left for St. George’s to push for an equaliser as, during one raid, Rangers captain McQuinn Burch received a straight red card for a deliberate handball on the edge of the penalty box.Goalkeeper Smith, still limping from the earlier knock, was beaten by Dickinson’s curling free kick from 25 yards that smashed against the crossbar. Jarizinho Bassett quickly followed up on the rebound but put his glancing header wide of the open goal.Southampton: J. Smith; J. Hill (T. Russell 89min), S. Perinchief, M. Burch, A. Raynor, V. Perinchief, R. Lowe (S. Astwood 75min), J. Tucker, D. Pearman (M. Belboda 55min), D. Russell, K. Astwood.Yellow cards: S. Perinchief, A. Raynor, J. Tucker.Red card: M. Burch.Goals: V. Perinchief (53, 90+3)St. George’s: M. Paynter; E. Signor, D. Signor, P. Anderson, M. Hodsoll, C. Durham, J. Hayward, J. Bassett, M. Crane, A. Dougas, J. Dickinson.Yellow card: A. Douglas.Goal: A. Douglas (30min).Referee: Wade ChapmanMan of the match: V. Perinchief (Rangers)