Southampton Rangers 0

Hamilton Parish 1

A first-half Jamie Smith strike earned visiting Hamilton Parish maximum points at Southampton Oval yesterday in a game hardly worth the ten dollar admission fee.

For 90 minutes both teams faded in and out of a dull affair that was eventually decided by Smith's opportunistic goal in the 19th minute after Rangers botched what should have been a routine clearance.

Prior to kick off in their previous match against Dandy Town Rangers players torched a copy of The Royal Gazette for inspiration in the dressing room.

However, the only thing that went up in smoke at the Oval yesterday was Rangers' bruised pride as they ultimately paid the price for some poor defending.

Case in point was Rangers' defender Anthony Rocker who virtually gifted the visitors the winner when he sliced Durnell Smith's outswinging cross onto the bar, leaving namesake Jamie Smith the easy task of slamming the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

Smith's goal came as no real surprise given his team were by far the better team during the opening stanza. With better finishing Peppers could have easily added to their one-goal advantage before the half.

Rangers started the match without key players Rohann Simons, Donnie Charles and skipper Kamen Tucker and their absences stood out like a sore thumb.

And to make matters worst, the sky blues' already depleted roster would suffer another setback when midfield maestro Travis Wilkinson limped off in the 12th minute with a suspected hamstring pull.

Yet despite falling behind in early arrears the home team had two golden opportunities to draw level moments before the break. First new acquisition Keemo Smith failed to cleanly connect with goalkeeper Nigel Burgess off his line and moments later Kennon Simmons curled a shot into the side net.

Rangers eventually gained the upper hand in second half and with the wind at their backs pinned Parish in their own half for long spells.

However, their attackers failed to find the target and probably could not have bought a goal even had they been on weekly special at a local grocery.

The home team had a confident appeal for a handball in the box turned down by referee Ronue Cann and moments later promising winger Morricko Iris crashed a dipping shot onto the bar after a textbook wall pass with dreadlocked striker Herbie Dillas who played in spurts.

But after weathering a bit of pressure Parish threatened to extend their lead with striker Jamie Smith prompting Rangers 'keeper Jason Smith to acrobatically save a howitzer from 20 yards that had goal written all over it.

Rangers pressed on and had a goal disallowed for shoving in the box in the closing minutes. But in the end they just couldn't find a way to crack open a Parish defence, marshalled by centre-half and skipper, Kaiya Worrell, who stood head and shoulders above his team-mates.

If there was any downside to Parish's third win of the season, perhaps being pipped on goal difference for a spot in the Dudley Eve would have been it.

Still, Parish coach Mark Jennings praised his team for the manner in which they rebounded from a recent 5-0 pasting to the hands of North Village and believes the 'best is yet to come' from his troops.

"This was a good result for us because we at least wanted to obtain seven- points before the break and we have already achieved that, which is a good boost for the holiday," he smiled. "Now we can take a break and come back in the New Year fresh and ready to play some solid, fundamental football.

"At the end of the day our priority is the league where we are trying to be successful.

"Our main goal is to stop the yo-yo trend of coming up one season and then going right back down the next.

And going into the holiday were are still on course to achieve our ultimate goal."

Southampton Rangers: J.Smith, K.Simmons, A.Rocker, M.Williams (J.Bean, 65 mins), T.Brown, J.Charles (capt), T.Wilkinson (R.Lowe, 55 mins), J.Dill, K.Smith, M.Iris, H.Dillas (K.Symonds, 85 mins).

Hamilton Parish: N.Burgess, R.Evans (O.Allen, 60 mins), C.Hansey, T.Caisey, D.Smith, C.Caisey, K.Worrell (capt), R.Smith, N.Robinson, J.Smith (N.Swan, 85 mins), N.Smith.

Booked: A.Rocker, J.Charles, R.Lowe (Rangers).

Man-of-the-match: K.Worrell (Parish).