Match Report
Match Report - 22 Sep 2009, St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team beat Oakwood
St Francis Rangers are the first club through to the RUR Cup quarter finals and they did it despite playing nearly an hour with only 10 men at home to Oakwood on Tuesday.
Defender Matt Carruthers was ordered off by Mid Sussex referee Paul John after a linesman spotted him aiming a kick at Scott Langridge on 32 minutes. Last season's clubmates at Oakwood were involved in some heavy jostling in the box and the home youngster was caught exacting his retribution.
Rangers had gone ahead three minutes earlier with the softest of goals. Elliott Butler did well to cross from the right and former Hurstpierpoint keeper James Shaw was clearly distracted by the onrushing Sam Palmer as the ball was allowed to go directly in.
Despite Geoff Pitcher resting a niggling strain and having to delay his attempts to score for the ninth match running, it was Rangers who started much the livelier.
Shaw had to pull off one smart save to his right but his opposite number Simon Lehkyj also had to be at his best to deny Tom Tolfrey.
The loss of Tom Djamaluddin with an injury late in the first half meant a senior return from injury for Ben Palmer, who understandably will need a game or two to get up to speed but will benefit enormously from having seen so much action.
That was because Rangers got their second half tactics just right, working hard to get behind the ball as they invited Oakwood on.
The Division 2 side, in truth, did not know what to do with all the time they had on the ball and apart from a Tolfrey strike that hit a post late on, there were relatively few scares for Rangers.
Those tactics relied on a high work rate and manager Roy Staughton was delighted to get that from every player.
St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team 1 - 0 Oakwood