Report: Beeston St Anthony's 4 v 0 Rangers

KDRAFC Media
May 19, 2022
3 min read

A poor first forty-five minutes from Rangers allowed Beeston to establish a 3-0 lead, but a much improved second half showed that Deighton could compete with teams at the top and should do well going into the final two games.

With Jonty Smith still recuperating after his injury, Kieran Arnett took his place between the sticks, and Jack Abbott and Brad Spencer started in defence.

The hosts wasted very little time testing out Deighton's rearguard, but despite twisting his way into the area, the striker couldn't wrap his foot around the ball enough, and his shot went high and wide.

The game stopped momentarily to allow a swarm of bees to pass alongside the far end of the pitch. As soon as they had passed, Beeston restarted their assault on Deighton's goal and opened the scoring in the seventh minute when a back header didn't carry to Arnett, and a green-shirted player intercepted and hooked it past the keeper from close range.

Despite trying to work the ball down the wings through Jake Little and Rob Holliday, Beeston soon pinned Rangers back again, and it needed Arnett to pull off a save to his right and at the striker's feet to deny them a second.

Winning a free-kick after the referee harshly adjudged Josh Buckley to have fouled his man, Beeston found their player at the far post, but he headed over, with Jack Abbott putting him under pressure.

Edging the midfield battle, Rangers produced some crosses into Beeston's area, but none fell to the attackers, and St Anthony's defence was able to clear the danger.

Neal broke through Beeston's offside trap but tried to get the ball onto his favoured foot to shoot, and in the end, the defender recovered to sit on the ball and prevent him from shooting.

The hosts increased their lead on 24 minutes when a shot from the edge of the area deceived Arnett, who saw it creep just inside his post.

Pushing forward again, Beeston won a free-kick right on the edge of Deighton's area. This time the wall stood firm, and the ball glanced off it and spun off the pitch for a corner, which needed another save from Arnett as the shot came in from eighteen yards out.

Neal was finding space down Beeston's left side, but as he raced to get the ball, he lost his footing, and a defender was able to clear. Soon after, Jack Cheetham had a chance to score, but the keeper saved with his leg as the ball rebounded into Cheetham's path, he couldn't get his angle right, and his second shot hit the side netting.

Beeston wrapped up the points in the 44th minute when Rangers's old defensive frailty appeared again, and they failed to track the man at the back post, who steered his shot past Arnett and the defender on the line.

Half-Time: Beeston St Anthony's 3 v 0 Kirk Deighton Rangers

Rangers started the second half with James Harrison taking the injured Connor Buckley's place. A few minutes after the restart, Little saw his shot blocked, and Harrison tried to poke the rebound goalwards. However, a defender stopped his shot just short of the goal.

Harrison was in the thick of the action again when he tried, along with Neal, to pressure the goalkeeper, but the custodian evaded the pair and cleared downfield. Working the ball to one of their players, he sped through Deighton's defence before beating Arnett to score Beeston's fourth in the 62nd minute.

The green shirts came forward again and won a corner. This time, a free header at the back post was athletically tipped over at full stretch by Arnett. Minutes later, the Deighton keeper pulled off another airborne save, going full length across his goal to turn a stinging shot wide.

A cry of dismay came from Deighton's bench after the linesman's questionable offside decision against Harrison. Winning the ball again, Rangers found Harvey Ribbons inside Beeston's area, but his shot was deflected behind by the keeper's outstretched leg.

Deighton knew it wasn't going to be their day in front of goal when, despite being grounded, Beeston's keeper still managed to thwart Neal and Mike McCartney from close range.

Another good pass through Beeston's defence allowed Ribbons to beat his marker, but the keeper was equal to his shot and collected it without issue.

A series of unnecessary fouls by both teams marred the closing stages of the match, but neither side could capitalise with Spencer's free-kick picking out Cheetham, but his shot going over, and Arnett pulling off another good save to divert Beeston's shot wide.

Full-Time: Beeston St Anthony's 4 v 0 Kirk Deighton Rangers