Winless league champions Boulevard had to settle for their fourth draw in five matches as Southampton Rangers salvaged a point at Southampton Oval to remain in second place.

Ten-man Boulevard were the more disappointed with the result, while relief was evident on the face of Rangers players and fans when Janeiro Tucker slotted home an 85th minute penalty to force Boulevard to share the spoils yet again.

The first half contained plenty of chances but remained scoreless after some poor finishing by both teams. It began as early as the 10th minute when captain Stevie Wade tried a shot from a sharp angle inside the box after a move down the right and put his effort well wide with Dwight Warren waiting patiently for the cross inside the six yard box.

Rangers only needed a decisive touch to a long Randy Simmons throw in the 17th minute when the ball was allowed to bounce twice inside the six yard box on its way past the far post before being cleared.

Rangers lost defender Erskine Brangman with a foot injury in the 24th minute when he challenged Wade inside the box and twice had treatment before substitute Lamar Seymour came on. Seymour went into midfield with Randy Simmons switching to full back.

Boulevard suffered their own setback two minutes into injury time when Dean Boyles was ejected for a second bookable offence of dissent, having said something to referee Chris Terry.

Kwame Tucker should have made Boulevard pay in the 59th minute when he received the ball on the left side of the penalty box from a quickly taken free kick but managed to drive his left-footed shot wide of the near post. The striker nearly made amends moments later with a volley that keeper Mitchell Steede tipped over the bar.

Despite being short-handed, Boulevard went in front in the 62nd minute with a header from Dwight Warren from a Wade corner on the left, a corner he earned himself with a shot that was tipped over the bar by Darren Burchall.

Rangers stepped up their efforts late in the game and were finally rewarded five minutes from the end when Tucker scored his seventh goal of the season.

Boulevard sub Shivaughn Smith was blown down for a hand ball just inside the penalty area and to the delight of the vocal Rangers fans on the bank behind the goal, Tucker tucked his spot kick neatly inside Steede's right-hand post to stretch Rangers' unbeaten run to four games.

Rangers: D.Burchall; R.Belboda, L.Simmons, P.Brangman, E.Brangman (L.Seymour 24 mins); R.Simmons, K.Simmons, O.Jones, J.Tucker, K.Tucker (D.Tucker 82 mins), A.Wolffe (T.Darrell 56 mins).

Boulevard: M.Steede; L.Hypolite, D.Boyles, L.Stevens, A.Caisey; G.Smith, M.Trott, J.Samuels (S.Smith 76 mins), M.Holdipp, D.Warren, S.Wade.

Men of match: Pernell Brangman (Rangers), Mitchell Trott (Boulevard).

Referee: Chris Terry.