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Match Report (Winterton Rangers 5 - Parkgate 4) 12th August 2006 NCEL Div 1 |
Winterton opened their league campaign with the
visit of promotion fancied Parkgate for
Rangers had to
start without last year's leading scorer Rob Northen and both players vying for
the left back position, Ross Haywood and Luke Smithson. Mark Whitehouse dropped
into the defence and Barton Town Striker Craig Burdick deputised up front
alongside Andy Holt.
The game opened
with both sides playing at a high tempo, Parkgate going close inside 3 mins when
a cross from the right flashed across the face. But Rangers were equal to it and
took the lead on 8mins when
they raced into the Parkgate box but some hesitancy and the shooting chance looked
to have gone but as the ball was only half cleared, Green crossed back into Danny
Clarke at the far post whose header found the stooping Andy Holt who gave
Rangers the lead.1-0
Holt had another
chance on 14 minutes when a Clarke
cross from the left found him on the edge of the box, his attempted volley was
miscued wide when he probably could have taken a touch. A minute later and it
was one each. Brian Cusworth saw Rangers keeper Jody Barford of his line and
lobbed him from 30 yards, wind assisted. 1-1
Parkgate kept up the pressure and two minutes later Turner shot over
after a neat move gave him his chance on the edge of the
box.
Rangers were giving as good as
they got, but some reluctance to shoot in good areas were affecting the play.
On 20mins. Two half chances went begging before Clarke shot
over.
On 24 mins Rangers again went ahead, Andy
Catton had dropped into the middle and when he picked up the ball and rode the
first challenge before the Parkgate defence opened up for him and he ran from
halfway and into the box before lifting the ball over the diving keeper. 2-1
Winterton were looking more comfortable as the game went on and looked the most likely to extend their lead, but on 40mins. Barford hesitated to come for a cross into his six-yard box, Cusworth reacted first and Barford parried but Cusworth scored from the save. 2-2 It was a sucker blow going into half time.
Half Time.
2-2
The
second half was only 30 seconds old when Parkgate won a penalty. A through ball into
the box was spilled by Barford under a heavy challenge - a follow up shot, as
Barford lay holding his head, was handled and a penalty was awarded. Rangers were
unhappy with the referee but the penalty stood and Adam Fretwell converted. 2-3 46mins
This bizarre game
still had plenty in it, Rangers continued to press, Parkgate responded. On 47mins Rangers Andy Holt was brought
down on the edge of the box but the resulting free kick hit the wall. On 55mins
Clarke did well on the left and his cross found Burdick at the near post but his
first time shot hit the angle before being cleared
away.
On 61mins. Clarke again made inroads down
the left working well with Mark Whitehouse, before being brought down close to
the touchline. The low cross into the box was met on the volley by Burdick
inside the six yard box and the ball flew into the net with the Parkgate defence
static. 3-3 Rangers deserved
it.
A minute later the
game took another turn. Straight from the kick off Parkgate pushed forward,
Cusworth had peeled off to the right where he received the ball and fired in a
superb shot into the far corner from the edge of the box. 3-4 62mins. And three minutes later it could have
been four but Cheetham's shot from a corner flew over as Robinson pressured
him.
On 71mins. Rangers
were nearly back into it when a ball into the box was twice cleared off the line
before a stretching James Atkinson
hit the side netting.
Nine minutes later
Rangers were level. Danny Clarke took on the full-back heading for the by-line
before cutting in towards thr box where a reckless tackle brought Clarke
tumbling into the box. Parkgate screamed outside, the ref gave a penalty. Dave
Ricardo stepped forward and drew Rangers level. 4-4
80mins.
A minute later and
Rangers were back infront. Whitehouse fired in a cross from the left that
Parkgate Keeper Lee Manderson spilled at his near post. Andy Holt reacted
quickest and fired goalwards from a tight angle, the ball slammed against the
foot of the near post and into the path of Parkgate centre back Brett Storey who
couldn’t get out of the way. 5-4
81mins.
The referee added 6
minutes of added time for a game with three head injuries and nine goals, and
on two occasions Parkgatee could have equalised. Cusworth shot past the far post
on 91minutes. Then on 93 mins a Parkgate player was found wide open in the box with
only the keeper to beat but Green appeared from nowhere and made a brilliant
tackle and the chance was cleared.
Final score. 5-4
