Wolves 3 Southampton Rangers 3

Southampton Rangers coach Keith Jennings ripped into his side after they threw away a three-goal half-time lead to draw against promotion rivals Wolves at Bernard Park on Sunday.

With just three points separating his side and second-placed Wolves prior to kick-off, Rangers looked set to close the gap after a brace from Jahni Bean and a further goal from Malachi Jones put them firmly in control at the interval.

However, two goals from Sergio Richardson and a decisive strike from fellow substitute Tyree Robinson with the last kick of the game completed the most unlikely of comebacks.

It left a furious Jennings to question his side’s character, with the result leaving Rangers fourth on 21 points, three adrift of Wolves who occupy the final promotion spot with just three games remaining.

“These players don’t have any passion or character,” Jennings said.

“To lead 3-0 at half-time and let them come back is totally unacceptable. We were totally in control and we throw it away. I’m just speechless and throughout my entire career I’ve never seen something like that.

“I’m used to having players who have that desire to want to win. We put in all that work to go 3-0 up just to let it go like that.

“I don’t even think it was the case of the pressure building, it was more us allowing them to do what they wanted in that second half, gain momentum and allow the match to get away from us.

“It’s a draw, but this feels like a loss and personally feels much worse than the 7-1 defeat to Devonshire Colts.

“There feels like an entitlement from today’s players, where they think they can just turn up and that be enough. There is no passion or commitment any more. It takes one player to stand up and show they are not going to let something like that happen, but we couldn’t even find one to step up and demand more from the team.

“They way I feel and the what this team has just shown is the promotion race is done for us, it’s over.”

After a frantic opening to proceedings, Rangers broke the deadlock in the fifteenth minute when Bean beat the offside trap before lashing a right-footed effort past Wolves goalkeeper Reid Trott.

Trott was at his best to deny Rangers going further ahead on two separate occasions in the space of five minutes, first tipping Ricardo Lowe’s effort around the post, before spreading himself to thwart Donte Brangman’s stinging strike.

Just after the half-hour mark Trott was again called into action, diving full stretch to divert Najiyah Raynor’s dipping strike on to the bar but there was nothing he could do in the 43rd minute when Kemon Simmons’s free-kick from the left fell at the feet of Jones, who prodded home from close range.

Raynor was again denied superbly by Trott just two minuteslater before Rangers found a third their dominance deserved two minutes into additional time.

Ralston Wright did well to win possession in midfield before releasing Bean, who again timed his run perfectly before rounding the onrushing Trott and sliding the ball into the net.

Wolves introduced Richardson at half-time and the forward made an immediate impact, reducing the deficit with just his second touch, curling an effort from the edge of the area beyond the reach of Sean Perinchief and into the far right corner.

With 13 minutes remaining, Wolves and Richardson were gifted a second goal as his deep free-kick looked set to be a routine catch for Perinchief, only for the goalkeeper to somehow fumble the ball into the net.

That led to a prolonged period of Wolves pressure and a series of corners, with one headed narrowly wide by Robinson.

Just as Rangers looked set to hold on, there was to be one final twist as the clock reached five additional minutes.

An inability to deal with another Richardson deep free-kick proved costly as the ball fell to the feet of Robinson who fired in a dramatic equaliser to spark wild celebrations on the Wolves bench and utter despair among Rangers’ players and staff.

“That was just a crazy game,” said Richardson. “Being down 3-0 at half-time we had to really dig down and find a way to get something out the game.

“I was really pleased to make an impact and help the team to get a point. Everyone showed a lot of heart in that second half.

“Every point counts in this promotion challenge. It’s down to three games now and although we would have liked to get the victory to put space between ourselves and the other clubs, that could be a really important point.”

SCORERS

Wolves: S Richardson 46, 77, T Robinson 90+5

Southampton Rangers: J Bean 15, 45+2, M Jones 43

TEAMS

Wolves (4-5-1): R Trott 8 (sub G Minors, 46min 6) – C Caisey 6, J Hayeem 6, A Samuels 6 – M Ming 7 (sub: S Simons, 65 6), L Paynter 7, A Brangman 6, D Joell 6 (sub: S Richardson, 46 9), S James 6, D Simmons 6 (sub: R Ford, 65 6) – K Douglas 8 (sub: T Robinson, 78). Substitutes not used: K Thompson, S Wild. Booked: Paynter, Samuels, Robinson, Richardson.

Southampton Rangers: (4-3-3): S Perinchief 4 – J Hill 6 (sub: A Bean, 65 6), D Steede 6 (sub: S Samuels, 73), R Wright 7, K Simmons 6 – D Brangman 7, R Low 6, Z Smith 6 (sub: C Henry, 60 6) – M Jones 7 (sub: A Bailey 60 6), N Raynor 7 (M Ray 73), J Bean 8. Substitutes not used: N Ray-Georges, K Douglas. Booked: Steede, Samuels, J Bean

Referee: A Majors