Match Report
Match Report - 18 Aug 2009, St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team lost to Redhill
Both clubs had been knocked out of the FA Cup at the extra preliminary stage the previous Saturday and the football was quick, close and tight from the start. Rangers had the first good chance on 4 minutes when Jamie Weston struck from 18 yards but Chris May in the Redhill goal dived to his left to make a good save. Lee Radford on the left was looking dangerous for the home side and broke free on 5 minutes but his shot went wide of Simon Lehkyj’ s right hand post. Rangers had a good move between Elliott Butler, Chris Maynard, Russell Harris and Phil Gault that came to nothing on 11 minutes but from the resulting corner, Maynard crossed to the far post where Matt Carruthers out-jumped the Redhill defence and headed across goal for Weston to score with a neat header.
Redhill pressed hard after this and had a number of good chances created by their pacy forwards but were unable to beat Lehkyj. At the other end, Butler set-up Gault for a good chance but May saved well to his left. On 25 minutes, the Redhill pressure paid dividends when Leon Dussard broke free and shot at Lehkyj who was unable to hold his strong shot but the rebound was slotted in by Dussard before the Rangers defence could react. A minute later, Gault tried a shot from 40 yards when the keeper was well off his line, but the shot went wide right. Radford had a couple more good chances to score before Gault had another go at lobbing May but the chance was cleared for a corner. A minute later, Maynard was put clear but his strong shot was punched away by May. Redhill had created the better chances but Rangers deserved to be level at half time.
The second half started at a much slower pace and play was fairly even but on 75 minutes Butler was put clear through the centre of the Redhill defence and should have scored but pulled his left foot shot just wide of May’s right hand post. To rub salt into the wound, 3 minutes later, Dussard was allowed to turn inside the Ranger’s box and his left foot shot beat Lehkyj and nestled in the right hand corner of the goal to put Redhill into the lead.
This is the second time in 3 league matches that Rangers have taken the lead and been beaten and, although Redhill just about deserved their win on chances created, Rangers can consider themselves unlucky not to have taken something from the game.
Redhill 2 - 1 St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team