PAGET RANGERS 2-3 GNP SPORTS: THE MATCH REPORT...

Bears Raided By GNP, As Lloyd Banks A Brace…

Paget Rangers 2-3 GNP Sports

Paget must have been brimming with confidence before this contest began, for they had beaten Ashby Ivanhoe 5-1 at home on Saturday, whilst their guests GNP Sports, new to Division 1, had suffered a 3-1 defeat on the same afternoon at Lichfield City, who play on a similar artificial surface to that at Coles Lane. The Raiders must have been anxious in advance of this match against the Bears, especially as they had only 13 actual players to choose from but also, goalkeeper and ex-central defender Matty Compton injured his calf in the opening minutes and henceforth found he had only limited movement and a gross inability to leap. He kicked well enough, however… Yet neither team appeared to have read the script, for not only were Paget dithery in midfield and unproductive from wide places, they failed to put any kind of pressure upon Compton, who must have been shocked, if relieved that he wasn’t harassed by crosses and a plethora of shots. Indeed, his evening duly progressed largely untroubled…

FAGG CRUSHES THE REFEREE'S PALM...

Home forward Dan Elwell was capable aerially and yet he was limited to a couple of headers, one of which bounced off the crossbeam but he must have wondered quite why his colleagues failed to provide the kind of service he would have thrived upon, especially against a hurt ‘keeper. He did score a smart goal late in the proceedings but GNP stuck to their disciplined approach and saw out the remaining minutes, having led 1-3 from around the 65th minute mark. Fair play to the Raiders though, for their concentration was immense when not in possession, even from wide-players Charlie Cook and Jason Evans. Their marking was decent and their tackling was often telling. Striker Chris Lloyd nabbed two of the visitors’ goals and might have secured a hat-trick, whilst skipper James Bryson headed goal two for Sham the Sham’s men…

DAN CARTER DEMONSTRATES HIS HITCH-HIKING ABILITY...

Callum Burston-Keeley had equalised for the hosts during the opening half with a fierce low cross-shot but in truth, Paget didn’t deserve a reward on the night, for the sheer determination and often good play by GNP subsequently earned them a just victory. Cook’s weaves, Lloyd’s willing running, Rob Prinzel’s mighty presence and the defensive pairing of Luke Edwards and Bryson formed the platform for success, as the Raiders claimed their first points at Step 6. 

"SHAM, YOU ASKED IF I WANTED TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL... WHAT THE F..."

There were abundant skirmishes in midfield throughout this match and consequently few exciting goalmouth incidents materialised, even though five goals were bagged. Elwell’s firm header from Ollie Gibson’s centre cracked onto the GNP crossbar and later, Gibson himself headed a diving effort past Compton, only for his ‘goal’ to be chalked off for some pushing, which remains a mystery. Burston-Keeley equalised Lloyd’s first goal, as home skipper Billy Fagg claimed the first of his two assists. A right-flank rush forward saw Burston-Keeley burst onto a short pass by Fagg and the wingback’s low cross-shot had enough venom to beat wounded soldier Compton and fly just inside the left upright from the corner of the 18 yard box.

1-1...

Lloyd’s opening goal had been created by Cook, the enigmatic Raider forward who has two decent feet and the kind of ability that you want to see, yet the guy could achieve so much more. And no, we are not related, nor was I related to Tommy Maguire, ex-Alvis and Coventry United… Cook’s measured pass from inside-left to inside-right beat Aaron Harper-Bailey’s jump and Lloyd was in, beating ‘keeper Brad Hayward with a smart and angled cross-shot into the far left corner of the net from well right of the 6 yard box.

GNP LEAD...

Otherwise, GNP had seen a lobbed left-booter by Liam Davies drop too high, a shot following a Cook corner by Lloyd drift off target and a Lloyd free-kick which was spilled low by Hayward, who recovered in time to thwart the lurking Evans. Hayward, baulked by the low sun during that opening period, took a knock to the face for his trouble. Cook drove a shot at Hayward, who then saved low to his left from the bearded bison that is Prinzel, son of a Scottish Laird, and later in the half Edwards planted a header past a post from a free-kick. Home central defender Daniel Cullen was booked for foul play and when Cook oozed past both Burston-Keeley and Cody Mullan, the initial foul by the former was rewarded with a yellow card too. Cook though so nearly reacted badly towards Mullan…

ELWELL WATCHES TWO MEMBERS OF A BOY-BAND REHEARSE THEIR MOVES...

THE REF: "HEY CHARLIE, YOUR BOOTS MATCH MY CARD..."

PROBABLY LOOKS BETTER WEARING A KILT...

There was even less final third action after the interval but really, the game became fascinating to watch, for it seemed only a matter of time before hardworking Raiders tired, or erred on a surface upon which they aren’t used to playing regularly, especially as they had conceded two late goals on the previous Saturday. On this night of course too, they had only two guys on the bench to apply fresh legs to the group. Yet survive they did and they netted a brace of goals in quick succession midway through the half, which dulled Paget like Bears with sore heads, until Fagg and replacement Jeorge Smith began to pass the ball around more clinically. First, following a throw on the right, which I believe that Rangers thought was a foul chuck-in, a centre by midfield battler Brennan King saw Bryson rise at the left stick and plant a header across the goalmouth and into the far side of the net to regain the lead for the guests.

1-2 NOW...

That joy was short-lived, for soon, Prinzel assisted for goal three. His lifted pass to the 18 yard line was brilliantly turned upon by Raider Lloyd, rather like the Paget defenders had been made to disappear by some skullduggery and suddenly there was only Hayward to beat, which the striker did with a quick flick of the outside of his right shoe.

1-3...

Lloyd nearly scored again when a long punt by Compton bounced over Harper-Bailey, the second such incident the defender had been involved in, but although Lloyd rounded Hayward, he had been forced towards the right and his overbalanced shot drifted into the side-netting. Paget had made a couple of chances previous to this, Elwell having a shot palmed down by Compton, before he headed a deep free-kick past the right upright but suddenly, after decent work by substitute Myles Brown, who had taken a place at left-back, allowing Ashley Brown to swap wings, Fagg shoved a low pass towards Elwell at 18 yards. The lean striker made a fine turn in front of marker Edwards before having the composure to lift a chipped left-booter over Compton’s reach and the ball dropped sweetly into the net, like an NBA three-pointer from downtown by the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry…  

2-3...

Yes, Paget managed a late revival but Cullen couldn’t quite reach a deep Smith free-kick with an outstretched boot but then did reach another one to the right of goal with a header but Compton fell down upon the ball to save it, although he couldn’t get up again, underlining the state the gloveman was in. More treatment was thus needed… It seemed that GNP’s King, plus their tall right-back Joshua Nash, who improved hugely as the game wore on and also Lloyd all received yellow cards, as Sham the Sham’s men hung on until the end, although the Raiders used the brute force of Prinzel to kill the final moments, which for Paget was like attempting to shove a tank off your house-drive with a wheelbarrow. 

THAT LATE SAVE BY COMPTON HAS KEPT HIS TEAM AHEAD...

Disappointing performance by Rangers, despite some decent moments by Sam Fitzgerald, Fagg’s general play, Gibson’s willingness, Burston-Keeley’s ability to make rapid rushes and Elwell’s good forward play. Daniel Carter, who had netted three times on Saturday, suffered a quiet game but GNP were well served by their defence, Aaron Dickens was effective at left-back and he linked well at times with the interesting Cook. Lloyd was lively, Davies quieter, whilst replacements Rhys Lyons and Joe Wright slotted in and kept tight. Lots of tenacious marking and tackling were evident by the Raiders, whereby some huge and solid covering for their injured goalkeeper by Bryson and Edwards basically won the match for their team…

THOSE FINAL SECONDS ARE ABOUT TO START...

TEAMS: 

PAGET RANGERS:

BRAD HAYWARD, CALLUM BURSTON-KEELEY, ASH BROWN, CODY MULLAN, DAN CULLEN, AARON HARPER-BAILEY, BILLY FAGG (CAPT), SAM FITZGERALD, DAN ELWELL, DAN CARTER, OLLIE GIBSON.

SUBS:

MYLES BROWN, JEORGE SMITH, PAUL HUGHES, JAMES HANCOX, LOUIS ANDREWS.  

GNP SPORTS:

MATTY COMPTON, JOSHUA NASH, AARON DICKENS, ROB PRINZEL, JAMES BRYSON (CAPT), LUKE EDWARDS, JASON EVANS, BRENNAN KING, LIAM DAVIES, CHRIS LLOYD, CHARLIE COOK.

SUBS:

JOE WRIGHT, RHYS LYONS, (ALSO COACH RYAN ISHERWOOD…)