Winterton’s short trip along the M62 to Glasshoughton gave Pete Daniel’s side the opportunity to pit their wits against a team from the division they hope to be playing in next season as well as another bite at the FA vase.

With Dave Ricardo suspended, Greg Archer from Worksop Town was brought into central midfield. Rob Northen dropped to the bench with Mark Whitehouse preferred alongside Andy Holt.

Inside the first 30 seconds Andy Holt nearly chased down a back pass to the keeper and Ben Simpson saw a shot from the up-field punt skip past his far post.

Heavy rain and a game in midweek had made the surface a bit uneven and Rangers very tentative especially at the back. On 3mins. They gave away a free kick just inside the half. The ball was dropped onto the penalty spot and Rangers didn’t react, neither to the ball in or to pickup the incoming player who tapped home from close. 1-0 It was the worst possible start.

Rangers were ten minutes before they made any attempts at the Glasshoughton goal. Andy Holt did well to get a shot at goal that was blocked out to Archer who blazed the ball over. Holt again fired goalwards a minute later, this time straight at the keeper.

Glasshoughton more direct play had Rangers defence hard pressed at times, and made heavy weather of clearing the ball on 12minswith the striker closing.

On 17mins a Rangers free kick into the box saw the home defence hesitant, Holt nicked in before feeding Clarke but he fired over as Winterton became more involved in the game. Two minutes later Whitehouse had a great chance, when he challenged the keeper for a lofted ball into the box, the ball came free and his shot whilst falling just went the wrong side of the post with the goal gaping. Glasshoughton were unhappy with the initial challenge but the referee was prone to seeing things his own way.

Steve Underwood was booked for  a foot up on the left back, Ball whose reaction to getting a kick on the lower leg was somewhat dramatic. How you get booked for clashing legs???

On 29mins with Rangers looking for a way through, a crossfield pass to Billy Green found the full back hesitant and he was caught in possession. The pacy King raced towards Simpsons goal with Atkinson coming across to challenge, unfortunately the centre-back went to ground and King cut inside and fired Glasshoughton into a two goal lead. 2-0

On 33mins Rangers bounced back. Holt did well on the left before cutting back across the edge before being tripped inside the box with the Rangers faithful upset that no decision had been given the ball broke to Mark Whitehouse who fired home. 2-1

Glasshoughton finished the half strongly with a shot over from Shelton and a corner as the half came to a close. 

HALF TIME 2-1

Glasshoughton started the second brightly, forcing Simpson to punch clear soon after the re-start and then a real let off on 49mins when Haywood was caught in possession and Glasshoughton broke clear but the header at the end of the move was from an offside position and the goal was disallowed.

Rangers finally sparked into life o 50mins when Clarke got down the left to cross into the box where the Centre Back Stevenson headed away with Holt pressing.

Daniel made a change, introducing Rob Northen to the front, replacing Clarke. Whitehouse returned to the left of midfield and a more familiar Rangers formation. It sparked a Rangers revival.

On 56mins Winterton won a corner, the ball to the near was flicked on but the ball back in was well held by keeper Cowell. Two mins. later Catton started to get space to run, he ran to the edge of the box but his shot curled wide. A minute later Catton again ran at the box before feeding Northen whose shot was saved at the near.

The game was on a knife edge, Rangers doing most of the pressing, but Glasshoughton looked very lively on the break especially down the flanks where Green and Haywood were having difficult games performance wise.

By the 65^th minute Rangers were flying at the Glasshoughton defence. Northen had a shot from 8yards out blocked away after another great cross from Whitehouse. On 69mins after breaking fr4om defence a ball to Holt saw him turn and run at the box and from a n angle skim the far post as rangers got nearer to the equaliser.

On 74mins it came. Andy Catton picked the ball up on half way and made a jinxing cross field run before releasing Whitehouse who rounded the full back before firing across the face for Andy Holt to tap home a deserved equaliser. 2-2

Two minutes later and Whitehouse nearly threw it away with an ambitious crossfield pass that was picked off before being worked into the box only for Simpson to smother a shot at the foot of the post. Glasshoughton then won a corner that was headed over 3mins later.

Then on 80mins. Winterton snatched a goal to give them the lead for the first time. Whitehouse tried a sneaky free kick into the top corner, keeper Cowell reacted slowly and fluffed his handling of the ball straight to Rob Northen who headed home. 2-3

Glasshoughton responded, winning a freekick on the edge of Rangers box. The dead ball rattled the top of the bar on 82mins.

Then with only 5 mins to go the game was changed with the sending off of Steve Underwood. Te ref gave a free kick for a foul by Northen on the half way line the ball had travelled to Underwood who flicked the ball into the arms of a defender coming towards him but the ref took it to be kicking the ball away and showed the rangers midfielder a second Yellow and he was off for a shower.

It was now could Winterton hold on. The answer was no. On 88mins they failed to clear their lines and a cross to the far found home player on his own to tap home the equaliser. 3-3

Rangers needed to get the ball out and run out some time but the young Winterton players could do it and on 92mins Haywood was chasing shadows as a player cut this way and that before firing a great drive into the net to give the game to Glasshoughton.4-3

FINAL SCORE 4-3

It Was felt that when Rangers went ahead some players took their foot off the pedal as if the game was won and were naive and should have shut out the game. Disappointing but some questions may have been answered.