Match Report
Match Report - 09 Sep 2008, St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team lost to Redhill
The top two in the table came head to head on an unbelievably good pitch considering the recent weather and the match was played at a frantic pace for the first 45 minutes. Sam Jeremiah went close for Rangers when he hit a rasping volley on 8 minutes from all of 18 yards only to see it just dip over the bar. Tony Reid was proving a real handful up top for Redhill and Rangers Skipper Dam O’Farrell was at full stretch to turn his cross behind for a corner on the quarter hour mark and minutes later Aaron Murphy shot straight into Si Lehkyj’s arms from a quickly taken free kick.
The first 25 minutes flew by with chances at a premium but the passing was crisp and neat by both sides. Jake Forward then nearly opened the scoring when he was put through on goal but could only watch his shot beat the keeper and be cleared off the line after some really good link up play between Jeremiah and Gault. Within moments of the goal line clearance, Redhill could have gone one up if it were not for Lehkyj’s quick reactions after a poor Chris Maynard header. Lehkyj was again in the think of it when he pulled off a good save to his left and moments later Phil Gault should have done better just before half time when he shot straight at the keeper when well placed.
Within minutes of the re-start, Tony Reid followed up a shot from Lee Radford which Lehkyj did well to save and gave Redhill a 1-0 lead. Rangers back four were caught napping from their half time break as Redhill got in behind them way to easily and 4 minutes later it was almost a carbon copy of Redhill’s opener but this time Dan O’Farrell some how managed to clear off the line when Reid looked destined to make it 2-0 to the visitors.
Redhill were dominant at this stage but the games complexion could have completely changed on 65 minutes when Rangers one real quality movement ended in Geoff Pitcher failing to get on the end of a Sam Jeremiah cross when he was only a few yards out. There was no way back for Rangers and the result was sealed on 77 when Radford took aim on Lehkyj’s goal and saw his 25 yarder come off O’Farrell’s head and give Lehkyj no chance.
Rangers huffed and puffed for the final 13 minutes but never really looked like getting back in to the game. Ian Breeds gave Rangers a little more fluency down the left but failed to capitalise with 10 to go as he sliced the ball behind.
Rangers boss Dan Bryan Said “we were naive tonight and Redhill punished us. However, we must not lose sight of what we are about and what we are trying to build. I tried a few different things tonight and they haven’t come off for us but we will work to get that right for Saturday when we entertain Seaford at home”.
Rangers: Lehkyj, Leppard, Turpin, Djamaluddin, O’Farrell, Butler, Wood, Forward, Jeremiah, Gault, Maynard. Subs: Pitcher (Forward 45), Breeds (Maynard 65), Harris (Wood 79), Slade and Walton unused.
St Francis Rangers FC 1st Team 0 - 2 Redhill