Dan Marshall’s Post Match Reaction.

A second half demonstration in attacking football and how to finish chances meant that Rangers maintained their unbeaten start to 2019 when they saw off the challenge of Leeds Modernians 4-1 at Barr Field.

The goal rush was started with a great header by Josh Barden, before new signing Will Bates made his home debut something special with a brace either side of a Rob Holliday strike.

A visibly happy Dan Marshall spoke to Media Officer Pete Arnett after the game.

On the match itself …

I thought that we had to work really hard for the win today. Leeds Modernians more than played their part in what was a great game to watch. I thought that we played really well in the first half and especially the first twenty minutes where we were quickly out of the blocks. We were probably in the ascendency, but lacked that little bit of something the final third and we talked about that at half-time and how we could address it. To be fair to Leeds, they had two or three clear cut chances and could of come in at half-time maybe one or two up.

We talked at half-time about having that little bit of extra quality in the final third, even if it was a pass, cross or a finish and we did that. Josh got us on our way, but then we conceded a cheap goal although it was a great finish. We have mixed it up again today and Will (Bates) has come off the bench and scored two goals and set one up. All in all, 4-1 sounds like a comfortable win but I do feel that we had to work really hard for it right until the end. Their league position is certainly a false one from what I have seen today and I believe that they will climb up the table.

On Will Bates ….

He’s come in to the squad and it’s unbelievable to think that he hasn’t played for a year, what with the move over here and also looking for the right club, which I hope that he has found! He has come on for two cameos and has scored four goals which is brilliant. He has told me that he likes to play in the final third and he looks deadly. He has had two chances today and last weekend and has scored them all. We need to build him up and get him fit, which he readily admits is lacking and hopefully he will add something different to our game. We will lose Ro (Roman Neal) in two weeks when he goes travelling and that will be a great miss for us, but to be able to replace him with an incoming player, not only keeps our numbers up ,but will help us be able to keep our challenge up and Will certainly looks like he can do a job for us.

On Rob Holliday’s return after injury …

There were periods in that first half when he was running the show. We know that Rob is a very talented player because we see it in training every week as well as on the pitch and it’s all about that constant delivery during games. He will be the first to admit, and I have to point out here that first and foremost he works so hard for the team, but in the position that he likes to play he has to score goals and make assists. In the last two games he has done both absolutely brilliantly. I can’t ask anymore from him when he is playing like this and when he gets in those little pockets and on the half turn he brings us something different, and that showed again today in his performance.

The unbeaten start to 2019 continues …

Yes. We didn’t finish 2018 very well, and we had a bit of a blip, but we knew with hard work and keeping our heads down that it would turn and it has. We got that performance at Aberford, even though the game was abandoned, for the 68 minutes that it was on, we played well and looked dangerous. The derby game against Wetherby was never going to be an easy one, but we got the result and I thought that last week we were excellent on a difficult pitch and against a difficult side.

It’s down to the squad that we now have, and the depth that we contain that we could take a big player for us like Danny Grannon off and bring on someone who goes on to score two goals. Hopefully we can all go forward and see where it all takes us.