Winterton attempted to shake off the long Christmas lay-off with a trip down the M1 to Derbyshire and a visit to Sth. Normanton currently second bottom of the division. In typical dreary January weather Rangers fielded the same side that won at Rossington with Jamie Barnwell returning to the bench after injury.

Winterton started brightly, playing down the slope looking to the left flank with Holt and Northen linking in. Haywood found Northen running into the left channel before lifting a cross into the box ,but the keeper palmed away with Holt closing as early as the fourth minute.

South Normanton keeper Dave Wardle again made a good save two minutes later when a Catton free-kick into the box was headed down and Northen’s shot from three yards out was brilliantly palmed away. 6mins.

Then on 13mins. Rangers took a deserved lead with a brilliantly worked goal. South Normanton were on the offensive, Walmsley broke the ball out of defence before feeding Clarke. The youngster carried the ball into the South Normanton half before picking out Holt's angled run to the 18 yard line. Holt held it up before threading a pass into the path of Mark Whitehouse who raced into the box before putting the ball under the keeper for 0-1.

Rangers continued to create opportunities, Rob Northen shot over on 18mins after Walmsley won a header from a free kick, then chased down a back pass that the South Normanton keeper blasted straight at him only for the ball to rebound wide. 19min. Followed by an Atkinson header at the far post that just went wide from a free kick. 20mins.

The first 25 minutes were all about Rangers. South Normanton did venture into the visitors half but squandered any good position by lacking any quality around the box.

Winterton should have been two up on 27mins. When yet another free kick was awarded by the over fussy referee, Andy Holt pulled to the far post where Walmsleys knock on fell at his feet, only for his first time drive come back off the foot of the post.

The heavy pitch and long Christmas lay off started to show for both sides as the game became pretty scrappy, but still Rangers were the only side looking likely to score. On 40mins, Northen won a free kick on the by-line. The dead ball into the box found Walmsley’s head and Holt looked to have scored but his close range shot was cleared off the line.          

HALF TIME 0-1

The second half gave South Normanton the opportunity to ask questions of the visitors defence. Rangers looked as sluggish as the weather they were playing in, and at times resorted to pumped balls to the front pair as they struggled to produce the form prior to Christmas. That doesn’t mean they stopped creating goal scoring opportunities, Walmsley threaded a ball between the South Normanton centre backs for Northen to chase. He beat the onrushing keeper to the ball by touching it under him, but as he recovered his feet to tap into the empty net the South Normanton full back stole in and cleared the danger. 54mins.

A minute later Winterton were stunned by a South Normanton equaliser. A fee kick just inside their half was quickly lofted into the box and Rangers James Atkinson headed past Simpson in his own net. 1-1 . 55min.

Rangers nearly restored the lead five minutes later when a ball into the box was knocked down by Holt for Northen to fire in a low drive that went the wrong side of the far post. 60mins.

Pete Daniel needed  to mix it up a little, try to get a grip of the game as both sides gave away possession too easily. Ricardo replaced Walmsley in centre midfield and Catton was given a rest as Barnwell slotted into centre midfield with Clarke  moving out to the flank. It had  an instant effect Barnwell started to get a foot on the ball and with Clarke on the left Rangers started to pick up more possession.

On 69mins Clarke enjoying his role to run at people, had put Winterton back in front When a simple “route-one” ball found the South Normanton defender wanting and Clarke hit the back of the net on the half volley. 1-2

Rangers continued to ask questions. Barnwel1 headed wide from a corner and Northen fired in a cross that nearly fooled everyone only the keeper managed to flick it past the post. Then from the corner Northen had his shot cleared off the line.

The last five minutes were very nervy and the home side could have snatched an equaliser only for Rangers captain Steve Robinson to throw himself at the shot and block it away.

Then in the 90th minute Rangers settled it. A back pass had Northen sniffing an opportunity and when the ball fell to him he rounded the keeper and scored from a tight angle.

FINAL SCORE 1-3

This was by no means a sterling performance, but Rangers ground out a positive result in a game that in previous seasons they would have lost.