Robin Hood 9 Southampton Rangers 0

It was a lopsided affair at Goose Gosling Field last night as Robin Hood laid Southampton Rangers to the sword, scoring nine unanswered goals.

Ereico Outerbridge and Chae Brangman were the main characters in a ruthless performance, as they both scored hat-tricks to help their team recover from a heavy defeat last week at the hands of PHC in their season opener.

“The theme of our pre-match talk was ʽresponse’ said Robin Hood player-coach Danté Leverock. “We have a young team but it is important that we learn quickly and rise to the challenge.

“Obviously, I am pleased with the result and parts of tonight’s performance. It’s early in the season and we know that we still have some things to work on, so the objective is to address those areas and to continue to improve.”

Robin Hood were clearly the better team from the outset and it only took seven minutes for them to take the lead through a well-struck 25-yard effort from midfielder Kwame Naylor that flew into the roof of the net.

Eight minutes later, Outerbridge was on hand to tap in from close range after receiving a low cross from Brangman to make it two.

Hood midfielder Liam Anderson would then get in on the act with a strike equal to the first of the night from similar range, putting his team three goals clear.

Rangers were offering very little in response to the onslaught, finding it difficult to penetrate the Hood defensive block, which was anchored by the international pairing of Leverock and Jaylon Bather.

It was no surprise when Outerbridge added a fourth, receiving a through-ball from Aaron Nelson, opening his body and slotting into the far corner to effectively put the game to bed.

The second half became more of a formality as Hood picked up where they left off, causing more problems with their superior possession and combination play on the flanks.

Brangman opened his account in the 65th minute, capitalising on a fortuitous bounce on the edge of the box, beating his man and finishing to the goalkeeper’s left en route to his hat-trick. However, Outerbridge would reach the mark first, tapping into an empty net after being played in by substitute Nayan Outerbridge.

Having reached the milestone, Outerbridge was then replaced by Chris Ricca, who did not take long to get his name on the scoresheet, putting the finishing touches to a Leverock header from a corner.

Fellow substitute Tajai Goater was the chief orchestrator of the final goals, eliminating his man down the right flank in the dying minutes of the match, and serving up two perfect opportunities for Brangman, who took advantage by scoring the eighth and ninth with two crisp finishes to complete his hat-trick.

SCORERS

Robin Hood: Naylor 7, Outerbridge 15, 43, 75

Anderson 38, Brangman 65, 88, 90, Ricca 80

TEAMS

Robin Hood (3-5-2): M Fullerton 5 — C Robinson 5, D Leverock 6, J Bather 6 — T Bean 5 (sub: N Outerbridge, 52min 5), L Evans 6, K Naylor 7 (sub: T Goater, 65 6 ), E Outerbridge 8 (sub: C Ricca, 75), K Knights 5 — A Nelson 5 (sub: S Burchall, 75), C Brangman 8. Substitutes not used: D Lyelu. Booked: Naylor.

Southampton Rangers (4-3-3): S Perinchief 4 — W Woodley 4, Z Iris 4, J Hill 4 (sub: A Trianazan, 48 4), N Mello 4 (sub: Y Bean, 46 5) — D Hill 4 (sub: R Lowe, 60 4), R Wright 4, K Tucker 5 — A Rocker 5, E Stoneham 5, J Bean 5. Substitutes not used: D James, R Simmons, D Dunlop. Booked: J Bean, Tucker.

Referee: M Wyer.