PHC Zebras 0 Southampton Rangers 3

Southampton Rangers stunned PHC Zebras with three first-half goals at PHC Field, showing they intend to do more than just make up the numbers in their first season back in the top flight.

Rangers were winning the First Division title last season as the Zebras claimed a record eleventh Premier Division title.

Despite that, Rangers held their own against the Zebras after going two goals up inside the first seven minutes, before a third from Jarazinho Bassett, last season’s top scorer in the First Division.

And while PHC did come out battling in the second half, they could not find a way through the Rangers defence, their fate obvious when captain Cecoy Robinson had a penalty saved in the 72nd minute after McQuinn Burch fouled him. Goalkeeper Jason Smith dived to his left to block Robinson’s spot-kick.

“I was proud of my team today, they showed a lot of character away from home and came to PHC where it is always a hard place to win,” Jomar Wilkinson, the Rangers coach, said.

“We played with a lot of intensity, a lot of heart. We want to earn respect and today we took a step in the right direction. The shutout was the icing on the cake.

“It wasn’t an easy game, my hat goes off to PHC, they fought and showed a lot of heart. It was a young team and I hope they understand that it’s a process and they have to keep pushing.”

The game was only four-minutes old when Rangers took the lead. A cross from deep on the left by Damon Ming bounced inside the box and went untouched inside the far post.

The PHC defence was penetrated again three minutes later when a pass down the right side by Bassett sent Cardel Henry into the box before he cut in and placed a left-footed shot inside goalkeeper Shaquille Trott’s near post. It was all seeming unreal, but Rangers stunned PHC further by adding a third in the 29th minute through Bassett after Donte Brangman’s cross into the box from the left was not cleared and Bassett followed up to score from close range.

PHC came closest to scoring in the first half two minutes later when Tre Ming’s long ball into the box saw Robinson’s header come back off the framework.

However, Rangers were not intimidated and almost added a fourth just before the break when Brangman got through on the left side before goalkeeper Trott blocked his shot at the near post.

PHC came close to grabbing a consolation goal with the last kick of the game when substitute Jenico Sealey followed up on a Smith save to put his effort against the crossbar.

SCORERS

Southampton Rangers: Ming 4, Henry 7, Bassett 29

TEAMS

PHC Zebras (4-5-1): Shaquille Trott – Shakhai Trott, R Richardson (sub: M Lambe, 46min), D Dowling, D Usher — M Waldron, T Ming, K Hypolite (sub: J Sealey, 78), M Warren, J Warren-Smith (sub: Z Lee, 63) — C Robinson. Substitutes not used: T Place, M Wilson, Z Weller, B DeGrilla. Booked: Warren, Dowling, Lambe.

Southampton Rangers (4-5-1): J Smith — K Harrison, R Sampson, M Burch, D Frost — M Tankard, D Brangman, D Ming, Q Maynard, C Henry (sub: K Astwood, 62) — J Bassett (sub: S Hollis, 84). Substitutes not used: N Mello, J Bean, K Wilson, R Wright, T Wilkinson. Booked: Wilkinson (coach), Ming, Maynard. Referee: L Cann.