FARINGDON TOWN 0-6 MORETON RANGERS: THE MATCH REPORT...

Faringdon Hit For Six, As Wallace Strikes Three

Faringdon Town 0-6 Moreton Rangers

Apart from the final fifteen minutes or so of the opening period, this game was largely dominated by league leaders Moreton, who netted three goals in each half. More goals should have been scored too but some careless finishing by Rangers eased the burden on their hosts. After the break, Town rarely caused the Moreton defensive pair of Harry Smith and Joe Jarvis much anguish and indeed, Smith was more effective as an attacking force, heading off target on a couple of occasions. Lee Brooks scored once but might have grabbed a hat-trick, although he assisted his skipper Doug Wallace twice, as the rugged centre-forward nabbed a trio of goals. The Rangers’ midfield duo of Matt Johnson and especially Paul Whitehouse bossed a good deal of the match and the latter scored a deserved goal, although he missed a fine opportunity before the break too. Wide players Martin Tomes and Jamie Wyatt were lively on occasions for the guests and home central defenders Kane Harding and Jamie Broadfield were given a tough examination.

ONE PERSON SEEMS TO KNOW WHERE THE COIN IS, ANYWAY...

It was interesting that two number 26s started the match: home goalie Connor Guinness-Smith and Rangers’ Jarvis, whereas no number 6s played at all but the absence of Andy Capper for Faringdon was a missed opportunity for a reporter…

WALLACE EXPLAINS THAT HE DOESN'T CARE FOR THE COLOUR GREEN...

Wallace rapped in two opening period goals, first latching onto a hooked pass from Brooks before lobbing the stranded Guinness-Smith, then following a set-piece, he received a neat pass from Johnson inside the penalty-box and managed to slip the ball past the ‘keeper from close range, at the right side of the 6 yard area. Wallace also connected with Tomes’ free-kick and headed straight at the grateful Guinness-Smith, although Harry Smith had been shoved in the back by George Hegg nearby but Town duly escaped punishment for it.

WALLACE, RIGHT, HAS LOBBED GOAL 1...

0-2 & WALLACE CELEBRATES WITH A LITTLE MORRIS DANCING...

Whitehouse exchanged passes with Wallace but somehow slipped the ball past Guinness-Smith and also the base of the left upright, which looked an egregious miss… Brooks then nodded well wide and later blasted a great 7 yard chance too high, following a sliced clearance by home left-back Andrew Lynham. Brooks did bundle in a looped left-side centre by Wyatt at the right post however, despite the efforts of Guinness-Smith and a desperate defender, for goal three. The hosts had grown into the game after that, in truth, Matt Trout leaping like a salmon to head Robbie Harrington’s free-kick past the left stick, Hegg heading too high and having a shot blocked, whereas Dan Hoskins drove a shot well over the target too. It was the lively Harrington, aided by some neat touches from skipper Mike Van De Mortel, who threatened the most for Faringdon however. 

BROOKS, LEFT, HAS ADDED A THIRD GOAL...

Rangers’ goalie Jake Meredith saved smartly low to his right as Harrington and Moreton defender Liam Nimmo closed in, although an offside flag was waving anyway, before the striker later chipped too high from 26 yards and then saw a free-kick from inside-left nodded away for a right-side corner by Moreton’s Wallace. Harrington also caught Meredith on the skull as he chased a through-pass but the ‘keeper made no fuss about it. Much of the home attacking occurred immediately before the interval then and this certainly encouraged their manager but subsequently the resurgence failed to show after the players had returned from their half-time beers and pizzas. (Not really…) 

BRIGIDO HAS BEEN FOULED BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE...

LEAPING LIKE TROUT, ER, SALMON...

VAN DE MORTEL STARTS HALF TWO...

Indeed, with the breeze at their backs and playing up the Faringdon slope, Moreton began to dominate the affair, limiting their hosts to a couple of through-balls which Meredith dived onto and a weak Hegg shot which the gloveman saved with a yawn. Wallace was the main goal threat for Rangers though, having a free-kick from inside-left well touched behind for a corner on the right by the leaping Guinness-Smith, then seeing a firm header blocked on the goal-line by what looked like Lynham’s forearms (no penalty awarded) and also striking a left-booter which was deflected to the goalkeeper. His goal, the sixth, was the result of a break, whereby Brooks’ fine releasing pass sent the fellow clear at inside-left to nudge the ball past the outrushing Guinness-Smith from 18 yards, so that the ball seemed to move in slow motion as it rolled into goal.

HAT-TRICK MAN...

MANLY HANDSHAKE...

Wyatt’s low shot was spilled by Guinness-Smith but Wallace was offside as he hovered for a rebound, Harry Smith’s two towering headers flashed over then wide, Tomes struck a 26 yard free-kick just too high, Brooks’ header lacked power and Johnson’s fine run ended with a low shot which Guinness-Smith dealt with. Goal four was the result of a Tomes set-piece which found its way to a gloriously unmarked Whitehouse, 12 yards out, inside-right channel and his low drive found the left corner of the net.

GOAL FOR WHITEHOUSE...

Goal five was a strange one to be fair, Tomes’ right-side centre drifting towards the far post, where Brooks jumped fairly with the goalie, only for a glove to knock the ball over the goal-line. Seemed unfair on Tomes not to give him the goal though, for the delivery appeared to going inside the upright anyway… (Am I helping, Martin?)

NO TOMES ON THE PICTURE BUT 0-5 ANYWAY...

BROOKS HAD CHALLENGED THE GOALIE...

And thus, inchmeal, Rangers edged closer to a possible league title and the apparently under-strength Faringdon, roared on by the good humoured Harding, were Kaned (get it?) The home midfielders were game but couldn’t get the better of Whitehouse and Johnson, who regularly picked up possession and were then tough to dispossess. Obviously, Wallace and Brooks were so useful in the Moreton attack but the wide players, Wyatt and Tomes always looked fizzy, forcing Town’s Lynham and right-back Harry Platt onto the back-foot too often. Rangers’ full-backs Nimmo and Tom Newbould were eager to add weight to their offense but what came over as impressive most of all during this encounter, played not on a bowling green by any means, was Moreton’s passing game. 

HARDING PREPARES TO REVEAL HIS TRUE FACE...

Fair play to them, for if they are promoted playing like that, there is real hope for grass roots football, after all… 

TEAMS:

FARINGDON TOWN:

CONNOR GUINNESS-SMITH, HARRY PLATT, ANDREW LYNHAM, GEORGE HEGG, KANE HARDING, JAMIE BROADFIELD, MATT TROUT, DAN HOSKINS, ROBBIE HARRINGTON, MIKE VAN DE MORTEL (CAPT), WALTER BRIGIDO.

SUBS:

JAMES TRANTER, TOMMY JAMES, RICH EVANS.

MORETON RANGERS:

JAKE MEREDITH, LIAM NIMMO, TOM NEWBOULD, MATT JOHNSON, HARRY SMITH, JOE JARVIS, MARTIN TOMES, PAUL WHITEHOUSE, DOUG WALLACE (CAPT), LEE BROOKS, JAMIE WYATT.

SUBS:

KYLE ELLERY, KYLE SMITH, ZAK ELLIS.