Southampton Rangers 0 Wolves 4

Morrico Iris scored twice after coming off the bench to help Wolves into the next round of the FA Cup with an emphatic away win over Southampton Rangers on Sunday.

Iris, who came on after an hour took the game away from Rangers when scoring Wolves’ second goal from the penalty spot before netting from close range in the 78th minute to put the game out of reach of his opponents.

Wolves assistant coach Marcelos Thomas was pleased with his side’s win and full of praise for one particular player.

“It was a good performance overall,” Thomas said. “We lost our way a bit, but we stuck to it and got a good result. Matthew [Mello-Cann] was an important part of the team today. He was the leader of the midfield; he started the play.”

The way the game ended was in stark contrast to how it began with Rangers looking the more controlled in the early stages of the game. Despite not threatening the Wolves defence and goalkeeper Gatwoine Minors too often they created their best opening of the first half when Sijay Samuels found Jahni Bean in space before the winger drove a low effort toward the far post, but Tory Davis made a strong block.

Wolves opened the scoring with ten minutes remaining in the first half when Marcus Ming squared to Troy Tucker on the edge of the penalty area. Tucker showed quick feet to slalom past Rangers defenders Ralston Wright and Yuzaire Bean before chipping the onrushing Tayo Smith into the empty net.

Rangers asserted some pressure on the game in the final few moments of the first half but were often too slow to make the final pass or cross. Donte Brangman tried to unlock the Wolves back line with a lofted ball forward for Bean but the attacker made an errant first touch and the opportunity was averted.

The second half began with both sides sloppy in possession, notably when Rangers tried to play out of the back amid pressure from the visiting side’s attackers.

Just after the hour mark, Wolves were awarded a penalty when Lamelle Paynter was taken down just inside the area by Dakarrie Steede. Substitute Iris stepped up to slot the spot-kick past Smith to double Wolves’ lead.

Rangers tried to push forward in an effort to get back into the game, but Wolves remained compact and comfortably dealt with any serious threat they posed.

Wolves remained dangerous on the counter-attack and closed out the match as a contest midway through the second half. Matthew Mello-Cann smashed a beautiful effort towards goal but Smith made a smart save, palming the strike onto the bar, before Iris tucked home the rebound from close range.

In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Wolves scored their fourth from a flowing move. Substitute Beshan Lewis picked out Paynter, who squared for Antinori Butterfield to tap in from six yards out.

Southampton Rangers 0

Wolves 4

Tucker 36; Iris 63 pen, 78; Butterfield 90+1

TEAMS

Southampton Rangers (4-2-3-1): T Smith 6 – Y Bean 5 (sub: N Ray-Georges, 54min 5), R Wright 6, S Samuels 5 (sub: S Perinchief, 54 5), D Hill 5 (sub: L Scott, 67 4) – D Brangman 5, J Hill 5 (sub: R Lowe, 46 5) – J Bean 6, R Cann 5, D Steede 5 (sub: M Ray, 71) – C Henry 5. Substitutes not used: W Woodley, R Rhones

Wolves (4-1-4-1): G Minors 5 – T Davis 6, K Smith 6, O Smith 5, S Wild 5 (sub: R Ford, 60 5) – M Mello-Cann 6 – L Paynter 6, R Saggar 5 (sub: A Butterfield, 60 6), T Tucker 6, K Brangman 6 (sub: B Lewis, 71) – M Ming 5 (sub: M Iris, 60 7). Substitutes not used: J Davis, A Evans, A Brangman

Referee: S Maybury