Southampton Rangers, who usually win when Janeiro Tucker scores, picked up their fourth victory in the league thanks to their top scorer's eighth goal of the season against Devonshire Colts at Southampton Oval yesterday.

Tucker, with eight of Rangers' 12 goals this season, struck against the run of play in the 79th minute to seal the points for Rangers and keep them in the hunt for a Dudley Eve spot. However, Tucker also collected another booking, for a foul 15 minutes earlier, which takes him close to an automatic suspension.

Still, it was his goal that was most decisive, coming against the flow after a Colts move came to nothing.

Rangers were starting to look content to share the points late in the second half after Colts had held their own for much of the match. But just when it seemed neither team would find the net up popped Tucker to score a smartly executed goal to spoil Randy Darrell's return against his former team.

A Colts raid had broken down and Rangers countered quickly through Tucker on the left flank. Darrell was caught off his line as Tucker lobbed the ball perfectly under the crossbar and into the far corner.

Two Rangers substitutes, Michael Higgs and Garrick Williams, unable to control their emotions, ran onto the field to celebrate and were booked by referee Irven Simmons. Higgs was just getting ready to come on for Kwame Tucker.

The match was a few minutes late in starting after class III official Irven Simmons found himself without the appointed referee and a second linesman.

Simmons was forced to step in and handle his first First Division match with two volunteer linesmen.

Tucker had the first real chance of the match but put an eighth minute header from a free kick over the crossbar. At the other end Colts responded with a free kick on the right side of the penalty box from Craig Smith that goalkeeper Darren Burchall blocked with his legs.

Smith had the best of the Colts chances, and Tucker likewise for Rangers, as the teams were evenly matched in the first half. Smith, Vic Ball and livewire Damon Ming led the Colts attack while Tillman Darrell and Kwame Tucker partnered Janeiro up front for Rangers.

Smith went close again in the 28th minute, this time with a 25-yard free kick that beat the defensive wall but went inches over the bar. Smith was also prepared to use his right foot and 10 minutes later lifted a shot from inside the box over the top after a defender kept him on his weaker foot.

At the other end Tucker tried his luck with a long range shot that was off target.

Rangers did the early attacking in the second half but the play seldom matched that of the first half. Soon Colts were enjoying another good spell, forcing a corner on the right from which captain Shannon Burgess shot wide past the far post from an angle after some slack marking by the Rangers defenders.

Just a couple of minutes before Rangers' winner, Smith was given enough space inside the box to get off another left-footed shot but to 'keeper Burchall's relief the shot missed the far post.

The defeat leaves Colts anchored at the bottom with Somerset Eagles on three points, three adrift of champions Boulevard who picked up their sixth draw in seven outings.

Southampton: D.Burchall; R.Belboda, L.Simmons, P.Brangman, J.Raynor; N.Burrows, R.Simmons, K.Simmons; J.Tucker, T.Darrell (R.Simons 55 mins), K.Tucker (M.Higgs 80 mins).

Dev. Colts: R.Darrell; K.Burchall, S.Burgess, M.Hollis, J.Belboda; J.Samuels, M.Ray, S.Waldron (S.Phillips 66 mins), D.Ming, V.Ball (K.Dill 81 mins), C.Smith.

Men of match: Pernell Brangman (Southampton), Shannon Burgess (Dev. Colts).

Referee: Irven Simmons.