Match Report
Match Report - 17 Sep 2011, St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team lost to Peacehaven
Rangers 2 Peacehaven 4
Rangers finally broke their scoring duck at home but it wasn't enough to earn them the points. The final scoreline could have been 5all as both sides created numerous chances but in the end Rangers could not recover after another defensive injury, incredibly that is now 8 centre halves injured.
Rangers started lively and in the 2nd minute Archer squeezed into the box and poked home for Rangers first goal at the Colwell this season. Immediately the visitors bounced back and had a great chance to equalise but O Toole headed over unmarked from 10 yards out. Minutes later they missed another good headed chance, heading wide from a corner when a player was left completely unmarked by some inept Rangers defending.
Peacehaven good spell continued and they had 2 chances to level, first a fantastic save from O Rouke denied O Toole and then the ball broke kindly for the home side.
Rangers defence failed to squeeze up constantly in the first half hour, giving Rangers midfield too much space to cover. With the room to play it seemed an equaliser was imminent and it duly arrived on 25 minutes when a deep cross evaded Hollick and Akehurst, then Brown didn't pick up the runner who had a simple option to tap home at the back post.
Rangers did improve from that point and had their own chances but found the visiting keeper in great form. He denied Martin, Cooper and Pamment as Rangers looked to grab the game again. But just before the break Peacehaven should have gone in front as another deep free kick was floated in and the centre back ran unmarked from his own half but he headed over from close range.
With some tweaking at half time Rangers players listened for once and came out and performed really well for the opening period of the second half. A fantastic passing move saw Dodd cross for Pete Martin to volley at the far post. Gacias then had a long range effort go wide before the visiting keeper denied Pamment. It wasn't long before Rangers pressure told and another good passage of passing ended with Pamment finishing smartly from a right wing cross. They were denied a third by another excellent save and the game changed minutes later.
Akehurst had to come off, the first centre half to pull their hamstring this season, and with 8 centre backs missing in total there was no more defensive cover available. Gacias was the only option available and he dropped back with Barnes slotting into midfield.
It didn't work for Rangers as they failed to defend from that point forward making too many individual errors.
Peacehaven were level soon after when Rangers failed to defend another corner allowing another unmarked header from 6 yards out.
Before Rangers had a chance to re group they were losing when Hollick twice failed to clear his lines and got caught napping, gifting Peacehaven a third.
The visitors looked like they could score at will but to their credit Rangers kept pushing themselves and Pamment was denied was a miraculous save. The keeper had an inspired game and made another couple of top saves but then some more poor defending allowed Peacehaven to score their 4th and they should have made it 5 but somehow from 2 yards Barnes cleared off the line.
Walsh replaced the tiring Pople and he thought he had scored but somehow the ball span off the line. The home keeper made another good save in the final minute as they held on.
Rangers now have 9 defenders out injured and will desperately need some re enforcements if they are to get anything at Three Bridges on Tuesday.
Team: O Rouke, Brown, Akehurst (57 mins Barnes), Hollick, Dodd, Pamment, Martin (80 mins Mikkel), Pople (Walsh 75mins), Cooper, Gacias, Archer
Goals: Archer 2 minutes, Pamment 49 minutes
Yellow cards: Pamment
St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team 2 - 4 Peacehaven