Devonshire Cougars 2

Southampton Rangers 0

Devonshire Cougars kicked off the new year with a win over Southampton Rangers after goals either side of half-time from Lamont Brangman and Mark Steede in last night’s Premier Division match at Devonshire Recreation Club.

Brangman gave Cougars the lead just before the break after finishing off a move started by Steede, who then doubled the home team’s advantage midway through the second half.

The scoreline flattered to deceive as the visiting side dominated most of the match only to be undone by some poor finishing and tidy defending by the Cougars back four, and Kioshi Trott, the goalkeeper, who made several saves to keep Rangers at bay.

Cougars started the brighter of the two teams and took a deserved lead on 38 minutes. Mark Steede threaded a pass to fellow striker Chae Brangman whose clever back-heel sent Lamont Brangman in the clear. Brangman made no mistake from close range, drilling a low shot under the advancing Sean Perinchief, the Rangers goalkeeper.

Cougars faded in the latter part of the half, and they were fortunate not to concede as Rangers began to apply some pressure of their own, with Trott having to save shots from Keedai Astwood and Shaki Swan at his near post.

Cougars suffered a setback when scorer Brangman pulled his hamstring and was replaced by Charmari Burns at half-time.

Rangers picked up where they left off when play resumed after the break, with Astwood causing all sorts of problems down Cougars’s left channel with his darting runs.

A Rangers goal seemed imminent, but it was Cougars who would solidify their lead against the run of play when Steede stuck out his right boot and flicked Zari Simmons’s free kick past Perinchief.

Rangers changed their shape and threw more numbers forward after Akale Bean came on as a 69th minute substitute and added more spark in the visiting side’s attack.

Steede blew a golden opportunity to kill the game off when he headed Burns’s corner kick over the bar when virtually standing on the goalline.

That proved to be Cougars’ last real chance of the match and they were fortunate to go unpunished as Rangers controlled proceedings until full time.

Astwood had an effort from close range blocked by a defender, while Trott was at his absolute best to tip over a powerful shot from Bean that seemed destined for the roof of the net.

Cougars’ second league win of the season moved them level on points with ninth-placed Hamilton Parish, while Rangers are eighth.

•The Devonshire Cougars game against Hamilton Parish scheduled for Sunday, January 24 has been switched to Friday, January 22.