Match Report
Match Report - 12 Aug 2009, St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team beat East Grinstead Town
Both teams had lost their opening games on the previous Saturday, so a close game was always in prospect. In the first minute East Grinstead wing back David Major showed his pace down the right and his cross was strongly headed goalwards by new signing Macmillan but brilliantly stopped by Rangers keeper Simon Lehkyj with a left-handed reaction save. Rangers defence composed themselves after this sudden shock and their attack were lifted when the home keeper, Martin Jacobs, dropped a speculative cross by Chris Maynard and the loose ball was eventually scrambled to safety.
On 9 minutes, Ranger’s central defender, Matt Carruthers, was very harshly deemed to have handled the ball by referee Nick Brown when the ball struck his hanging left arm after a shot from approx.3 feet away. Justice was seen to be done when Macmillan’s penalty shot was parried by Lehkyj and the rebound cleared the bar. At the other end Carruthers headed over the bar from a Chris Maynard free kick.
The speedy home wingbacks, David Major and Dan Evans, were causing problems down each flank and, on 22 minutes, Lehkyj had to pull off a superb double save to keep his side from going behind but three minutes later, Jamie Weston, who had come into the side to replace the injured Sam Palmer, tried a shot from 25 yards but did not trouble the keeper as it sailed over the bar. On 34 minutes, the Wasps deservedly went ahead when Lehkyj got a hand to Evans’s shot from the left but the ball deflected to Macmillan who hammered home from 15 yards. On 41 minutes Lehkyj made another good save from Jack Johnson but two minutes later Rangers were on level terms when Weston turned well on the right edge of the box and quickly crossed for Phil Gault to head a somewhat surprise equalizer.
The second half was less exciting as Ranger’s defence of Tom Djamaluddin, Ben Palmer, Mike Boutle and the rapidly improving Carruthers (who had played for the Youth Team last season), began to take more control. Russell Harris had a good chance on 52 minutes but shot straight at the keeper and three minutes later, Ben Palmer was unlucky at the far post from a Chris Maynard corner when he just missed the target when at full stretch. On 60 minutes, Elliott Butler’s strong shot was pushed into the air by the home keeper, but the hovering Harris just failed to make contact with the loose ball.
A flurry of activity started on 79 minutes when Mike Boutal’s fine left foot cross was headed just wide by Phil Gault and two minutes later, Lehkyj was brought into action when he came swiftly off his line to deny an advancing home forward of a half-chance. On 83 minutes, the match was won by an excellent turn from Elliott Butler just outside the box followed by a dipping shot into the top right-hand corner of the home goal. East Grinstead tried to come back for the equalizer but Ranger’s defence held firm to record their first win of the season, thanks mainly to Lehkyj’s excellent first half performance.
RANGERS: Simon Lehkyj, Tom Djamaluddin, Mike Boutle, Elliott Butler, Ben Palmer, Matt Carruthers, Chris Cook, Phil Gault, Jamie Weston, Russell Harris, Chris Maynard, SUBS: Paul Whetstone (Cook 85), Stuart Church, Russell Turpin, Geoff Pitcher and James Baker (all unused).
Man of Match; Many good performances, but Simon Lehkyj had a faultless game.
East Grinstead Town 1 - 2 St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team