Weldon serve up treat for Colts
Two-goal hero Ellington Weldon blasted Devonshire Colts to a sensational comeback triumph at Southampton Oval yesterday.
The Colts' marksman found the target twice in the dying minutes to shoot down Southampton Rangers.
It sealed a second half super show by Colts as they roared back from two goals down.
They plundered four goals -- three of them in the final seven minutes.
Craig Smith, who had a great match, began the comeback in the 55th minute with a powerful strike.
He rifled the ball home from 14 yards after a movement between Keishon Smith and Mark Ray.
Substitute Harrison Trott then had Colts' expectant fans screaming with a cracking 83rd-minute header.
He connected beautifully after Smith floated the ball high and long from a corner kick.
Smith ran in on Rangers' blind side, giving goalkeeper Randolph Darrell no chance.
It was then left to Weldon to put the finishing touches to a day of high drama.
He provided two perfect examples of clinical execution in the 88th and 90th minutes.
First, he slotted the ball home from just outside the box after Rangers' defence could only parry a shot from Mark Ray.
Next, he swept the ball into the net following a dramatic break from the back by Colts, which left Rangers' defence floundering.
Keishon Smith tore down the right flank, and passed crisply towards the centre to an unmarked Weldon.
The striker wasted no time in finding the net from about 15 yards.
Weldon ran to the touchline to be mobbed by fellow players and supporters.
His strike came on the stroke of full time, and wrapped up a memorable afternoon for Colts.
A delighted Weldon exclaimed afterwards: "It was easy, the ball just fell for me.'' It had all seemed so different, however, at the outset when Rangers grabbed the early initiative -- and the goals.
In the 21st minute, Rangers striker Shawn Simons came close with a blistering shot from a free kick.
With a Colts wall in front of them, Olin Jones slipped the ball to Simons who smacked it from 20 yards to the right of Antoine Lightbourne's post.
The omens appeared worse for Colts when Joey Weeks limped off in the 22nd minute, to be replaced by Keishon Smith.
And they seemed even gloomier when Erskine Brangman opened Rangers' account in the 29th minute.
Brangman helped the ball over the line after Jones sent over a low cross from the right.
With the second half just five minutes old, Rangers made it two with a well-drilled shot from Jason Raynor.
Raynor picked up the ball from Gregory Steede on the edge of the 18-yard area.
He then slotted it past the advancing Lightbourne from about 10 yards.
Southampton: R.Darrell, E.Brangman, T.Jones, R.Belboda, D.Charles, G.Steede, J.Raynor, O.Jones, O.Hart (A.Russell, 77 mins), S.Simons, K.Burt.
Devonshire Colts: A.Lightbourne, K.Burchall, D.Wright, J.Samuels, L.Hypolite, J.Bean, V.Ball (H.Trott, 70 mins), M.Ray, C.Smith, E.Weldon, J.Weeks (K.Smith, 22 mins).
Referee: Lawrence DeShields.
Men of the match: Jason Raynor (Southampton); Ellington Weldon (Devonshire Colts).
