Inter Bermuda 2 Southampton Rangers 3

Southampton Rangers came from behind twice to edge tournament debutants Inter Bermuda in the final match of the FA Cup preliminary round at Goose Gosling Field on Monday night.

With the game deadlocked at 2-2 and extra-time starting to loom into view, Sijay Samuels converted the winner for First Division side Rangers in the 71st minute to finally settle an even cup tie.

“We are back in the hat which is a good thing,” Keith Jennings, the Rangers coach, told The Royal Gazette.

“We are always looking to push forward and maybe squeeze a trophy and it’s going to take some work.

“As you can see we do have the character to fight back and come back and overall the performance was all right.”

Rangers controlled the early tempo but were forced to chase the game when Inter Bermuda striker Toby Derham put the hosts ahead with a composed finish in the eighth minute. Derham ran onto Thales Francis’s pass over the top of the defence and planted his shot into the bottom right corner.

The game then opened up with both teams creating chances before Rangers striker Dominique Hill converted from the penalty spot after team-mate Noah Simmons was brought down in the area by Inter Bermuda goalkeeper Milton Vernaza in the 51st minute.

Lucas DaSilva restored Inter’s lead in the 68th minute when he tapped in a loose ball at the back post in a goalmouth scramble after fellow substitute Sylvance Opiyo’s low cross from the right.

However, their celebrations were short-lived as Rangers captain Donte Brangman brought the teams back level just a minute later after latching on to substitute Ricardo Lowe’s pass and squeezing a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Things then went from bad to worse for the Corona League champions when DaSilva left the pitch with a suspected dislocated shoulder to leave his team playing with ten men after using all their substitutes.

Rangers ultimately capitalised on their numerical advantage with Samuels producing the late heroics.

Scorers:

Inter Bermuda: Derham 8, DaSilva 68

Southampton Rangers: Hill 51, Brangman 69, Samuels 71