Rebel Burgess costs Rangers
Rohaan Simons' 49th minute penalty failed to hold up as Hotels capitalised on the sending off of Walton Burgess by scoring twice in the final 10 minutes at Southampton Oval yesterday.
Rangers looked on the way to their first victory of the season when Simons put them in front from the penalty spot four minutes into the second half. The spot kick was awarded when Sheridan Ming went down in the area after a challenge from behind from Stephen Gair.
Goalkeeper Stefan Dupres got his fingers to Simons' low shot but coult not keep the ball out as it went in off the inside of a post.
Then a spectacular overhead kick by Herbie Dillas from a Jason Raynor cross missed the target as Rangers kept up the pressure.
Hotels introduced Marlon Lindsay for Joey Weeks in the 67th minute and Quinton Francis -- pencilled in to start but arriving late -- for Michael Holdipp minutes later.
However, it was the sending off of Rangers' substitute, Burgess, in the 6th minute that proved decisive. Burgess, who came on in the 63rd minute, was sent packing by referee Richard Knight for foul language.
Hotels stepped up the pace after that and made Rangers pay when Clifford Roberts equalised four minutes later.
The winner came four minutes from the end when Don Vickers put through is own goal.
Both goals came from Chris Sabir corners on the right as Diallo Sharrieff also played a hand.
The big defender knocked the ball to the far post where Roberts scrambled home the 80th minute equaliser and six minutes later lobbed in another cross to the same far post where the ball went in off the body of Vickers as he tried to clear.
The second half was more eventful than the first when the best two chances came from headers in the 21st and 34th minutes. From a Corey Simmons corner on the right, Simons somehow placed a free header wide from well inside the six-yard box.
Hotels had their best chance minutes later when a high ball into the box by full back Franklyn Francis was met by Joey Weeks whose header hit the outside of the base of the near post with Randy Darrell beaten.
Hotels: S.Dupres; F.Francis, D.Sharrieff, C.Roberts, S.Gair, D.Wainwright (C.Crichlow 84 mins), W.Crockwell, C.Sabir, D.Robinson, J.Weeks (M.Lindsay 67 mins), M.Holdipp (Q.Francis 70 mins).
Southampton: R.Darrell; N.Grant, D.Vickers, O.Riley, R.Belboda; c.Simmons, E.Pitt (W.Burgess 63 mins), J.Raynor (D.Tucker 73 mins), S.Ming, R.Simons, H.Dillas.
Referee: Richard Knight Men of match: Diallo Sharrieff (Hotels), Ryan Belboda (Southampton) Vasco 2 Boulevard 0 Boulevard were rattled by two goals in the second half from Shawn Simons and substitute Steval Arorash that gave Vasco a deserved victory in this First Division match at Somerset on Saturday night.
Simons, whose penetrating runs down the left flank gave Boulevard's defence a constant headache, struck first when he latched onto the ball following a Keith Jennings corner and hammered it home from 17 yards after 58 minutes.
From that point Vasco took a firm grip on the game after the two sides had each struggled to gain the upper hand during a first half which saw both attacks create goal-scoring opportunities only to put shots wide of the mark.
Arorash eventually put the result out of reach four minutes from the end when he hammered a fierce shot home from 25 yards.
Boulevard, who raised their level of play after falling further behind, were unlucky a minute later when Tafari Outerbridge's powerful shot from 22 yards was pushed for a corner by the diving Timmy Figureido.
Boulevard had earlier missed a chance to take the lead when Clifton Simmons poorly headed the ball at the Vasco 'keeper from just 10 yards after 42 minutes.
But inspired up front by the forceful Dwight Basden and Simons, Vasco always looked the more likely to score.
Vasco: T.Figureido; D.Stapley (S.Arorash, 77 mins), M.Wade, P.Towlson, E.Richardson; S.Gibbons, O.Steede, Kei.Jennings; S.Swan (T.Dickinson, 77 mins), D.Basden, S.Simons Boulevard: M.Steede; J.Warren, L.Stevens, D.Wainwright, A.Caisey; L.Hypolite, T.Outerbridge, G.Smith; N.Robinson, R.Bascome (S.Wade, 59 mins), C.Simmons (V.Phillips, 62 mins) Referee: Lawrence DeShields Men of the match: Dwight Basden (Vasco); Tafari Outerbridge (Boulevard)