A Gloomy Earlswood Evening Offers Rangers No Favours…
Earlswood Town 2-2 AFC Coventry Rangers…
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
It was cold in Earlswood. It really was. I even stood in the home dugout at half-time to escape the chill wind for a few moments. However, that chill wind blew ill upon Rangers’ promotion aspirations too, as defensive lapses saw them slump to a 2-0 deficit, which they managed to nullify late in the match as the gloom spread around the ground and its surrounding farmland. Rangers could have won too but Connoll Farrell had a shot blocked and the very decent Ryan Alexander clipped a smart effort only just too high as the final minutes ticked by.
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| THE PAVILION... |
Greeted by the evergreen John Sharpe at the gate, I was so pleased to see that he’s still in good form, despite recent health problems. His programme articles are always worth a look at…
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| TALL DUGOUTS... |
A word about some of the Rangers players too, for they were willing to chat before the match, something they didn’t need to do, so although skipper Jordan Powell is sitting out games at present so that he can return near the end of the season as skipper to take all the credit, at least he too stood and suffered the chill wind as a spectator at Earlswood, so fair play to him… (He knows I’m winding him up…) I really am…
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| THE WINDY END... |
Ah, yes, the game… Well, Earlswood might have won the contest had it not been for two fine saves by Rangers’ gloveman Jack Hartopp but in truth Rangers needed to win it and in the end, ought to have done.
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| THE WARMER AREAS... |
Despite effective showings by Alexander and Joe Gardner in midfield, Rangers weren’t able to establish command of the proceedings and the Earls defended both Farrell and Rory Turnbull well enough. However, the visiting defence was caught out badly twice, allowing the hosts to forge a brace of goals ahead. There were some interesting names on the Rangers’ bench and Fola Fagbemi did liven up the offense late on but by then AFC were hurrying and scurrying as dusk fell across the bowl that is Earlswood’s pitch and subsequently a point was all they could show for their physical early evening’s toil.
Town surge ahead…
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| WEEKS & ALEXANDER TOSS... |
The first period goal scored by the Earls came as a surprise, for the opening exchanges had been industrial and even, rather than creative. Matt Pemberton had shot wide for the hosts and the influential John Palmer had driven an effort into the right side-netting, after being freed on that flank. The warning wasn’t heeded however, for Tom Reynolds lashed a high ball forwards for Town, Shane Doyle read the flight well and chased, evading the challenge of the impressive Rangers’ defender Toby Curran, he of the biting tackle… However, Hartopp had advanced, then stopped, maybe realising that he wouldn’t reach the ball before Doyle, who promptly lifted a shot beyond the stranded goalie. 1-0 and confidence began to exude from Earlswood.
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| 1-0... |
Hartopp reacted well to save another shot by Doyle, this time a low left-footed drive and Pemberton saw a low scuffed 8 yard effort well blocked by sliding Rangers’ defender George Swain.
Before the break, AFC had struggled to find rhythm although one or two neat passes by Alexander to Turnbull had opened up the left-flank, albeit to no avail. Home goalie Tom Day (one of four Earlswood Toms) held onto a dropping, in-swinging left-side corner by Gardner on his goal-line, with several of Rangers’ players claiming a goal, before the ‘keeper saved a diving header by Turnbull easily, following a centre by Farrell. Turnbull nodded wide from a Farrell corner too and Palmer excelled himself in defence with a brave leaning headed clearance of Gardner’s free-kick shot from downtown.
The AFC comeback after the break, following two more defensive lapses…
First Steve Ruck got clear of James Ritson at inside-left, following a long pass forward by Town but the number 17 saw his typically powerful left-booter tipped over the crossbar rather smartly by Hartopp. Rangers though failed yet again to heed the defensive lesson given to them and this time replacement Mikey Bridges held off the challenge of AFC’s Jaydeep Vim to screw a low 17 yard left-footed shot beyond Hartopp and just inside the right stick, although fellow substitute Harry Street was supporting to his right, totally unmarked by any Rangers player.
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| BRIDGES (16) CELEBRATES... |
The comeback from 2-0 by Rangers was overdue and when solid midfielder Callum Regan’s carefully measured shot slapped onto the home crossbar, Charlie Hynam bundled the loose ball over the goal-line from a yard or so.
The equaliser stemmed from a delivery past the advancing Day by Gardner, right of centre which rolled across the penalty-box 7 yards from goal. Farrell gave chase to it and thus had the simplest of tasks to turn the ball into the empty net from three yards.
Then, as day became evening, Farrell drove towards goal from an angle on the right but his near post shot was blocked by Day’s dive, an Alexander shot bobbled past the left upright and then very late on, Alexander’s quick feet to get past Street led to a fine and measured 17 yard shot dipping only just over the top of the crossbeam…
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| CAUTION FOR TURNBULL... |
The final words…
It was so cold. It really was…
Earlswood battled hard for their point but in reality, until they netted goal two, Rangers hadn’t really looked like scoring, despite one or two wobbly defensive moments for the Earls. Both Reynolds and Joe Tobin defended strongly for the hosts, well supported by full-backs Tom Millard and Brad Littlehales but certainly skipper Ash Weeks’ non-stop performance in midfield had been noteworthy.
I liked the showing of Town’s central striker Tom Kinsey on the night, for he won a number of tough aerial duels and ran elusively, causing the visiting defence one or two headaches but in the end, a point apiece was probably the right kind of reward for each team.
I returned home to Shirley and stood in a hot shower for twenty minutes.
It had been so cold…
It really had…
