Two late goals by substitute Ian Mullins put the gloss on a comfortable Rangers victory against basement club St. David's at Southampton Oval yesterday.

The East Enders, rooted to the bottom of the Premier Division with one solitary point, were bereft of confidence and good fortune and have the look of a relegation-doomed side.

For Rangers this was only a second league victory and their performance was far from convincing, until substitutes Donnie Charles and Mullins came on for the last half hour and added urgency to their game.

The contest started quietly and although Rangers had the bulk of possession, there was little goalmouth action until the opening goal in the 17th minute.

Jason Raynor curled an inswinging corner from the left to the far post, where the unmarked Kwame Tucker nodded powerfully into the net.

St. David's keeper Sidney Minors then denied Nashun Smith twice in a minute as Rangers pressed for a second, first saving at Smith's feet and then saving from the striker's close-range header after a long throw-in by Ryan Belboda.

Nimble strikers Chae Simmons and Worrell Bean always looked the Islanders' best bets to break through at the other end and Bean was unlucky not to equalise in the 28th minute.

After being brought down on the right-hand corner of the penalty area, Bean took the resulting free kick himself and curled it left-footed towards the top left-hand corner, only to see Rangers keeper Randy Darrell leap acrobatically to tip it over the bar.

Darrell had little to do, but kept his concentration well. His only other busy moments in the first half came when he dived to his right to gather a 22-yard drive by Anthony Bartley and then when he came out quickly to save at the feet of Otis Minors.

Rangers' second goal eventually arrived a minute before half-time when Omari Hart whipped in a dipping cross-cum-shot from the right which was too hot for keeper Minors to hang onto and defender Belboda simply chested the rebound into the net.

Rangers created more chances in the second half and Minors performed well to keep the score down.

Seven minutes after the break, Minors dived to his left to palm away a goalbound drive from Raynor and 10 minutes later he produced a fine reaction save to tip over Mullins' header from Raynor's cross. Moments later, he denied Mullins again with a similar but even better save after a pinpoint cross from Tucker.

The Islanders' defence was rooted to the spot waiting for an offisde flag in the 64th minute, leaving Charles to run clean through, but he overran it slightly allowing Minors to save again.

Proof that Lady Luck had abandoned St. David's for the afternoon came when Shane Weeks found the net with a superb diving header, but was denied by what must have been a marginal offside decision.

The same combination of substitutes brought Rangers their last two goals.

First Charles made the most of good work by Smith to cross low for Mullins to tap in from close range to make it 3-0 after 81 minutes.

And four minutes from time, Mullins knocked down a Raynor cross and then received a return pass from Charles before once more side-footing home from six yards.

In the final minute, Chae Simmons summed up St. David's day, when he dribbled past two defenders and into the box, but hammered his shot wide from 10 yards.

Rangers: R.Darrell, P.Brangman, R.Belboda, N.Grant, J.Raynor, S.Ming, K.Tucker (A.Simmons 72 mins), O.Hart, T.Flood (D.Charles 60 mins), N.Smith, E.Brangman (I.Mullins 60 mins).

St. David's: S.Minors, K.Fray, C.Waldron, A.Lugo, E.Wolffe, A.Bartley, O.Minors, C.Foggo (W.Hollis 70 mins), S.Weeks, C.Simmons, W.Bean.

Men of the match: Jason Raynor (Rangers); Sidney Minors (St. David's) Referee: Anthony Mouchette Yellow cards: None Red cards: None