Devonshire Cougars emphatically clinched Group B and stormed into the semi-finals of the Martonmere Cup competition after dismantling a spirited Southampton outfit at BAA Field last night.

Cougars booked their fourth straight semi-final appearance in a major cup competition courtesy of a three-goal second-half blitz that effectively killed off a youthful Rangers side reduced to ten men on the hour when midfield schemer Travis Wilkinson took a cheap shot at Kori Goddard shortly after the two players had challenged for possession near midfield.

Playing like true big cats, with the wind at their backs Cougars waited patiently and bided their time before preying upon a Rangers side which underwent sweeping changes over the off-season.

Veteran defender Jamal Salaam put Cougars ahead three minutes into the second half with a howitzer that soared into the top drawer and left Rangers custodian Dwayne (Steaker) Adams grasping at thin air.

But before the dust had even settled, Rangers dug themselves into a deeper hole when veteran defender Pernell Brangman helped a Goddard cross from the left across the goal line.

With the momentum now weighted heavily in Cougars? favour, the rout was on and new acquisition Nathan Webb would put an exclamation mark on the proceedings by stabbing a Joshua Butterfield cross from the left past Adams at the near post to send his team?s die-hard supporters standing behind the southern goal into overdrive.

?I thought the conditions (wind) in the first half were not conducive to our style of play. I knew Rangers would play with enthusiasm as this was their first game and they might have already seen us play the other night and they did do well to shut us down for periods,? commented Cougars coach Andrew Bascome afterwards.

?But once the elements (wind) were in our favour and we just kept knocking the ball about, I knew we could pull it off. And once we did score it opened the game up for us.?

Indeed, many might have felt the final scoreline did Rangers a grave injustice as for long spells the underdogs frustrated Cougars with some tight marking, excellent passing all along the full width of the pitch and an aggressive approach challenging for every loose ball ? particularly during a scoreless first half in which the blues twice came close to breaking the ice through former Cougar Craig Darrell.

Only 25 seconds into the match, Darrell sent an ominous warning by drilling a firm low shot inches past the far post with Ricardo Brangman completely out of the picture.

Brangman was then called upon to block the diminutive striker?s low drive from close range seven minutes before the half.

However, the sight of Rangers? full back Omari Hart writhing in pain on the deck proved to be a bad omen for far worse things to come in the second half.

Hart injured his right shoulder in a tackle and was later rushed to hospital.

But almost as if sensing their prey was injured, Cougars pounced shortly after the restart with Salaam beating Adams all ends up at the near post with a fierce drive from just outside the 18 yard box that would have made Real Madrid star midfielder Zinedine Zidane proud as it whistled into the roof of the net past the hapless ?keeper.

Brangman?s misfortunes five minutes later put the match beyond Rangers? reach while Webb was finally rewarded for persistence up front with an opportunistic goal in at the near post shortly after Wilkinson had received his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

?These matches have given us an opportunity to try out a few new formations and see how well the players would adjust. And I think they have been up to the task so far? added Bascome.: R.Brangman, D.Cox, O.Butterfield, J.DeShields, J.Salaam (K.Simpson, 68 mins), J.Butterfield, K.Goddard (S.Smith, 62 mins), A.Zuill, N.Webb, K.Steede, K.Williams (W.Bean, 73 mins). D.Adams, P.Brangman, N.Grant, K.Tucker (S.Williams, 66 mins), O.Hart (J.Caisey, 45 mins), K.Simmons, J.Dill, S.Simons (capt), R.Lowe (S.Perinchief, 85 mins), T.Wilkinson, C.Darrell.: K.Williams (Cougars).: T.Wilkinson (Rangers).: K.Steede (Cougars); N.Grant (Rangers).: Lyndon Raynor.