X-Roads 0 Southampton Rangers 2

Southampton Rangers’ journey to the East End was not in vain as they outplayed X-Roads to win 2-0 at Garrison Field yesterday.

Maquel Nisbett-Tankard and Quadir Maynard converted either side of the break to give Rangers a comfortable win and start their league campaign off on a winning note.

It was X-Roads that had the first scoring chance when new signing Calun Minors picked up a loose ball from a poor clearance to dribble his way into the box before unleashing a drive that Rangers goalkeeper Shaquille Bean had to push around the post.

Rangers nearly scored a few minutes later when Tre Manders found fellow new signing Dion Stovell. He outmuscled his marker to be first to the ball and lobbed the advancing X-Roads goalkeeper Dashun Cooper but the ball bounced hard and up onto the crossbar before being cleared. This was a sign of things to come as Quadir Maynard turned and fired a one-time shot on goal from a throw-in which was deflected for a corner.

The resulting corner was floated to the back post and Nisbett-Tankard headed the ball into the back of the net.

X-Roads’ dangerous strike pair of Donavan Thompson and Ian Coke never really got clicking as they were kept at bay by the Rangers defence marshalled by captain McQuinn Burch.

Instead it was the lone Rangers’ striker Stovell who was a menace to the X-Roads defence with his penetrating runs and speed. Manders found him again with a long ball that he ran onto but he hit a tame shot straight a goalkeeper Cooper. Rangers had the upper hand and took a deserved lead into the break.

Immediately after the interval, Rangers goalkeeper Bean, nearly gifted X-Roads a goal when he was late in clearing a back pass which allowed Thompson to get a partial block in. Minutes later, Minors should have done better when he dribbled through on two occasions but failed to get the shot off when well positioned. Midway through the half, X-Roads’ Andre Burgess, Thompson and substitute Kahmori Brangman combined passes for the latter to hit a first-time volley bringing off a brilliant save by goalkeeper Bean.

Not to be outdone, Rangers’ Jarazhino Bassett, Stovell and Maynard then combined for the latter to be given a defence-splitting pass which he cooly slotted under the advancing Cooper for the second goal.

SCORERS

Rangers: Nisbett-Tankard 23, Maynard 81

TEAMS

X-Roads (4-2-3-1)D Cooper — C McDowall (sub: K Hill-Tuzo, 46min), F Turnbull, N Richardson (sub: R Turnbull, 81), C Minors — A Burgess, T Daniels — T Burgess (sub: K Brangman, 56), J Bean, I Coke — D Thompson. Substitutions not used: R Beek, S Cannonier, A Heyliger, C Darrell. Booked: A Burgess, K Brangman.

Southampton Rangers (4-2-3-1): S Bean — M Nisbeth-Tankard, M Burch, R Sampson, T Manders — T Ming (sub: V Perinchief, 78), D Brangman – Q Maynard, D Hart (sub: D Ming, 71), J Bassett (sub: J Hill 71) — D Stovell. Substitutions not used: D Hill, K Harrison, S Perinchief, R Simmons. Booked: M Nisbett-Tankard.

Referee: D Jackson.