Southampton Rangers 2

Hamilton Parish 1

Sometimes the need to survive is stronger than the desire to achieve.

That proved to be the case for Southampton Rangers who came from a goal down to shock title chasers Hamilton Parish at Southampton Oval and lift themselves off the bottom of the table.

Parish, who lost top spot to Somerset Trojans on Friday night, were looking to reclaim first place in their quest for a maiden league title.

Midfielder Chris Caisey gave them the perfect start, scoring in the sixteenth minute, but two goals in the space of five minutes late in the first half by Jesse Seymour, Caisey’s former Devonshire Cougars team-mate, turned the match around.

Only some outstanding saves late in the game by Nigel Burgess in the Parish goal prevented Rangers from winning by an even bigger margin. Right on full time he denied Seymour his hat-trick after he got off a shot on the turn.

“I felt we played well on the whole; the coach told us in order to win games we have to execute ruthlessly,” Seymour said. “I had enough chances but you miss 100 per cent of the chances you don’t take.

“I’m just happy to get on the scoresheet and that we are out of the relegation zone.

“I’m more free [at Rangers], I get to roam more freely and I’m just excited to be scoring.”

Caisey broke the deadlock when Angelo Cannonier supplied the cross after a good run down the left flank, leaving Caisey with the task of steering his effort past Jason Smith, the Rangers goalkeeper, from six yards.

Caisey went close from another effort minutes later that just missed the near post. At the other end, Vernon Perinchief’s effort from 25 yards brought a good save from Burgess who then saved a Keedai Astwood effort as Rangers stepped up the pressure.

Rangers were rewarded for their endeavour when they equalised in the 37th minute, Astwood crossing from the right and Seymour tapping the ball home at the far post.

A miss two minutes later by Shayne Hollis, when Smith rushed off his line to close his angle after he was put clear, cost Peppers as Rangers scored again three minutes before the break when Seymour’s shot from the left corner of the box took a deflection before finding the net.

The open attacking football continued in the second half as a good move involving Seymour and Astwood resulted in Astwood’s shot being blocked by the goalkeeper’s legs.

Thomas Brown then should have done better with a free header from a Perinchief free kick. Shannon Burchall also headed wide after a chip over the Parish defence by Brown.

Smith prevented Parish earning a point in the dying minutes when he made a brilliant save from a Perinchief free kick and then made another from an effort by defender Maquel Tankard after he was put through by substitute Khalil Symonds.

“We had a game plan today and executed it,” McQuinn Burch, the Rangers captain, said.

McQuinn believes that Rangers will be tough to beat at home in their remaining games.

“You have to defend your home ground, nobody is supposed to come up here and take points off us,” he said.

“When we play at home it makes a big difference. We did have a slow start but when we got our first goal we just carried the momentum from there. Today was a hard-fought game, survival is a priority but we want to finish as far up the table as possible.

“The league is so tight that two straight wins can push you up towards the top and two losses can put you into relegation.”

The defeat left Parish in second place a point behind Somerset, but coach Kieshon Smith hopes it will serve as a warning for his players.

“Some losses are a blessing in disguise before the players get too ahead of themselves,” Smith said. “It’s good to be humble and come back down to what took them to where they are.

“It’s going down to the wire and you have to put points on the board.

“We are a point behind Somerset but we have to play each other. There are still five games left and the only thing guaranteed is we’re not getting relegated.”