Devonshire Colts 3 Southampton Rangers 1

Devonshire Colts climbed two places up the table with their third win in four as Southampton Rangers were left pointless at the bottom after defeat at Police Field yesterday.

However, Rangers showed plenty of fight, forcing the game’s first corner in the opening minute when striker Kieshon Wilson tested the Colts defence.

Colts had an effort ruled out for offside midway through the first half when Brandon O’Connor converted a rebound from close range. Colts were starting to look the more likely to score later in the half as Zuhri Burgess drove a low shot just past the far post following a corner on the half hour mark.

From a long ball forward from the goal kick Rangers broke through the Colts defence with Jahni Bean racing into the six-yard box before placing his shot past goalkeeper Jaden Mills-Furbert to score his side’s first goal of the season.

The same player should have doubled the Rangers lead minutes later when Jibri Salaam’s pass from inside the Colts half found him on the edge of the penalty box but the striker shot straight at the goalkeeper from 15 yards.

The miss proved costly as Colts began their fightback with the tying goal a minute later when O’Connor got on the end of a long ball into the Rangers box from a Zuhri Burgess freekick and beat goalkeeper Sean Perinchief with his first-time shot.

Colts took a 2-1 lead into the half with a 44th minute goal from Shaki Swan following a move down the right. Referee Anthony Francis consulted his assistant after cries for offside before allowing the goal to stand.

Colts threatened to extend their lead early in the second half when Rahzir Smith-Jones blasted his shot past the far post following a corner.

With just one goal separating the two sides, Rangers went close to an equaliser late in the game when Travis Wilkinson grazed the near post from a freekick on the right side of the box.

Six minutes later Calon Minors made certain of the points for the home team when he ran through down the left before smashing a volley from the side of the penalty box that dropped into the far corner, another good finish for Colts which killed off Rangers’ hopes of snatching a late equaliser.

SCORERS

Devonshire Colts: B O’Connor 38, S Swan 44, C Minors 86

Southampton Rangers: J Bean 32