Southern managed to put the disappointment of their opening day loss to Pegasus behind them after a claiming a 2:1 win, but they were made to work for the three points due to a resilient display by a young and spirited Rangers side as the rains poured at Aberdeen Sports Ground.
The Aberdeeners controlled the early stages of the game with some decent chances on goal, the first a Leung Tsz-chun strike that fell wide thanks to a fortunate deflection from a Rangers defender, and the second being an effort on goal from Wellingsson de Souza from just inside the box than Rangers goalkeeper Oleksii Shliakotin gratefully collected.
Wellingsson de Souza scored Southern’s second (photo courtesy of HKFA).
Rangers best chance of the half came after Marko Krasic made a surging run down the left side and delivered a cross for the waiting Lai-Lok-yin, whose effort sailed just wide of the far post.
It was the home side, however, who took the initiative deep in first half injury time, after Leung Tsz-chun’s long corner was kept alive by Zesh Rehman heading the ball back into the box where the lurking Hui Wang-fung was on hand to nod the ball home and send Southern into the half time break a goal to the good.
Things got worse for the Gers after the break as they almost instantaneously fell 0:2 down. Leung Tsz-chun again delivered a dangerous-looking cross that was helped on by Marcos Jimenez, with Wellingsson de Souza controlling the ball excellently and firing the ball into the net despite Shliakotin getting a hand on it.
But Rangers showed some promise despite their billing as relegation favourites, and a fantastic pass from Marko Krasic put the ball into the path of Chuck Yiu-kwok who had made an excellent run, and the local born striker rounded the keeper and stroked the ball home to put his side back in with a shout of taking something from the game.
Chuck Yiu-kwok pulled one back for Rangers (photo courtesy of HKFA).
It wasn’t to be, however, and Southern recorded their first win of the campaign to put their quest for league success back on track, with them due to face R&F at home on Saturday. Rangers can take heart from a plucky performance, and will be hoping to build on this when they face Tai Po at home next week.
Date: 9th September, 2017
Stadium: Aberdeen Sports Ground
Attendance: 326
