Pool AFC 2 v 2 Kirk Deighton Rangers
- KDRAFC Media
- Apr 25, 2021
- 4 min read
A poor opening twenty minutes nearly cost Deighton dear as Pool AFC took full advantage to go 2-0 up. However, sheer perseverance, mixed with some good fortune, saw Rangers pull level, and in all honesty, had it not been for the crossbar and a controversial offside decision, they should have returned to Barr Field with all three points!
Dan Marshall handed Joe Barden his first start of the season, and there were also places for Harvey Ribbons, Jacob Bollon and Jake Little, who had all missed the 3-1 win over Wetherby Athletic midweek.
Deighton started the match by winning a free-kick when Josh Barden was fouled. A floated ball into the area by Joe Wilks was easily plucked out of the air by the Pool keeper.
As predicted by the manager, Pool started to pepper the Rangers defence with long direct balls, and it seemed to unnerve Deighton, but Joe Barden and Bollon were able to repel the danger.
Despite all the long balls, it was, ironically, a short flowing move that opened the scoring after ten minutes. Some intricate passing down the right-wing saw the ball suddenly flashed across the Deighton area, and a deft touch guided the shot past Jonty Smith.
Rangers looked to mount an immediate response after Ribbons had won a tackle. Finding Ashley Tatler, the winger released Craig Hall, but he ran into traffic in the middle of the pitch and was dispossessed.
Six minutes after Pool had scored, they repeated the trick. This time the goal came from a looping free-kick into the area, which the attacker headed beyond Smith.
Again Rangers tried to fashion a response, and a corner found its way to Hall via Josh Barden. Quickly shooting as he was being closed down, his effort lacked power, and the keeper swept it up.
Deighton created two chances, but Wilks's turn and cross didn't find a blue shirt. Moments later, Tatler managed to shoot around a defender but straight at the keeper.
On 38 minutes, Rangers pulled a goal back with some simple football. Putting pressure on the Pool defence, Wilks intercepted a misplaced pass. Passing to the unmarked Hall at the back-post, he calmly scored to halve the deficit.
Pool finished the first half the strongest, and Smith was in the correct position to make a comfortable save as a long-distance shot was straight at him.
Half-Time: Pool AFC 2 v 1 Kirk Deighton Rangers
The second half started with Roman Neal replacing Sam Murphy. Hall dropped back into defence as Neal went to right midfield.
It was a more determined Rangers that started the half, and Josh Barden found Ribbons whose cross was too close to the keeper.
Pool responded, and a long-range shot was palmed clear by Smith, who gratefully dived on the loose ball.
Rangers made two further changes in the 55th minute as Josh Buckley and Rob Holliday replaced Dominic Walton and Michael McCartney.
A free-kick following a foul on Josh Barden saw Wilks's free-kick land at the feet of Neal. As he stroked the ball into the net, the whistle had already gone as the referee called offside against Rangers.
Deighton had taken control of the midfield, and a one-two between Josh Barden and Wilks was only just halted by the outstretched centre-back's boot.
The crossbar came to the host's rescue when Ribbons cut the ball back to Josh Barden. Weaving past his marker, she curled his shot over the keeper but watched as it hit the crossbar and bounced to safety.
Moving the ball well, Rangers had Pool looking nervous, and Wilks fed Tatler down the right side of the area. Shooting low, the keeper managed to get his hand to the ball and steered it away from Neal, who was coming in at the back post.
Increasing his attacking options, Marshall replaced Bollon with Jake Little in the 70th minute.
Rangers were applying pressure, and a deep corner gave Joe Barden a chance to hook the ball over his shoulder towards the near post, but again the keeper showed good positioning to collect the shot.
Taking a leaf out of Pool's playbook, it was route one football that brought the equaliser in the 72nd minute. Smith's extremely long goal-kick caused panic in the area, and in trying to head back to his keeper, a defender diverted the ball into his own goal.
The goal sparked Pool back into action, and it took a superbly timed tackle by Wilks to prevent a breakaway attack.
With 82 minutes played, Rangers thought that they had scored again after Josh Barden had thumped the ball into the net. Latching onto a deep cross, Barden controlled well, but as he scored, the referee ruled the goal out and indicated that he had strayed into an offside position. Rangers protested that a Pool defender had been present on the goal-line, but Mr Salmons was having none of it.
The home side were reduced to ten men after an altercation between Joe Barden and a Pool player saw Barden pushed violently in the chest, leaving the official no choice but to show a straight red. However, Barden didn't escape and was booked for his part in the incident.
Both teams had decent chances to win the game, but Tatler was ruled offside as he set to shoot inside the area, and soon after, Pool wasted a free-kick in a good position firing straight at Smith.
Full-Time: Pool AFC 2 v 2 Kirk Deighton Rangers
Verdict: A terrible twenty minutes could have really cost Rangers. However, it shows the sign of a team ready to fight for one another when you come back from two down to snatch a draw. We could have won this had the crossbar and a very dubious offside decision not played a part. Pool were reeling at the end, but we couldn't find that knockout blow, and this may worry the management a little that we can't kill teams off properly. However, it was a superb performance by all the players to battle back and claim a point.
Team: Smith, Murphy (Neal, 46) Ribbons, Barden.Joe, Bollon (Little, 70), Hall, Tatler, Walton (Holliday, 55), McCartney (Buckley.Josh, 55), Wilks (c), Barden.Josh
Subs Unused: Large.
Yellow Cards: Pool AFC - None
Rangers - Joe Barden
Red Cards: Pool AFC - 1 player
Rangers - None
The Bennett & Fountain Man of the Match: Ashley Tatler
Results: 24th April 2021.
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