Kenny Thompson was a free-kick hero at both ends as Village romped to a comfortable Martonmere Cup victory over Southampton Rangers at Devonshire Rec last night.

Thompson, playing in central midfield, took and scored from the first, after 15 minutes, then cleared the other off his own goal line 12 minutes into the second half to maintain Village's 1-0 advantage at that stage.

Thompson's effort, from 25 yards, was curled beautifully round the Rangers wall and hit the back of the net with Southampton goalkeeper Randy Darrell rooted to the spot.

Then, in the 57th minute, Thompson took up a position to the left of his own goalkeeper to bolster the Village rearguard against a similar attempt by Rangers' Craig Darrell.

Darrell placed the ball perfectly around the Village wall this time, but Thompson headed powerfully away from under his own crossbar.

It was as well he was there as Rangers were enjoying a period of pressure which threatened to bring them an equaliser after they were completely over-run by Village in the first 45 minutes.

Shervin Jennings, in the Village goal, was barely troubled as Thompson, directing things from midfield, and wingers Sergio Goater and Kevin Jennings, created a host of chances at the other end. A neat piece of trickery took Jennings past Neville Grant but his floated cross was just too high for Goater.

And with six minutes to go to the interval, Tafari Outerbridge won the ball after a skirmish from a corner and fired just over.

If anything, Village were guilty of not choosing the simplest of passes once they got near the Rangers 18-yard area.

And they nearly paid for their missed opportunities twice in a minute after the break, first when Thompson cleared the free kick, then when Shervin Jennings was forced to palm over Nashon Smith's strike from close range.

Minutes later, a slice of bad luck put the game out of Rangers' reach. Goater had just missed a great opening because of a poor first touch when Kevin Jennings' 65th minute strike looped off Pernell Brangman into his own net.

Jennings continued to torment the Southampton back line and it was his pass inside to Tafari Outerbridge that set up the third a minute from time.

Outerbridge showed no nerves as he picked his spot to fire inside Darrell's near post.

North Village: S.Jennings, M.Dill, A.Simons, J.Thomas, K.Binns, J.Boyles, K.Jennings, K.Thompson, E.Jennings (M.Hansey 70 mins), T.Outerbridge, S.Goater (D.Wade 80 mins).

Rangers: R.Darrell, N.Grant, P.Brangman, E.Pitt, D.Charles, J.Jones (I.Mullings 71 mins), O.Hart, J.Raynor (Y.Bean 84 mins), C.Darrell, H.Dillas, N.Smith.

Referee: Anthony Mouchette Men of the match: Kenny Thompson (Village); H.Dillas (Rangers)