Report: Boroughbridge AFC Res 2 v 0 Rangers (ST)

KDRAFC Media
Apr 11, 2022
3 min read

It was always a tough ask to beat the former league leaders, but Rangers arrived at Boroughbridge in good spirits following their 4-2 win over Hunslet Club Reserves on Saturday.

For the first seven minutes, there was very little quality on offer from both sides as the ball spent more time in the air than at the feet of the twenty-two players. Eventually getting the ball moving in some structured fashion, Rangers picked out Jack Holliday in the area, but, under pressure, he had to stab at his shot, and it went wide.

The hosts also calmed down and moved the ball well across the pitch until a foul stopped their progress. Hitting the wall with the original shot, Boroughbridge appealed for a handball, but the official waved away the protests.

Rangers hurried Boroughbridge into a poor clearance, but Liam Dean's first-time shot was caught by the keeper without trouble. Within a minute, the ball was in Deighton's area, but Kieran Arnett showed a strong pair of wrists to beat clear a shot from the corner of the box.

It was the turn of Andy Wort to have a shot as another Boroughbridge clearance fell short. However, the custodian read it well and dived to his right to smother the ball.

Rangers nearly caused their own downfall when they expected the referee to whistle for offside. However, he allowed play to continue, and it took a combination of Jake Bollon and Arnett to keep the Boroughbridge shot out.

The first goal came in the 17th minute after a flick-on from a corner fell to the player at the back post, and he rose to head it in past Arnett's dive.

Deighton tried to respond on several occasions, but Boroughbridge's defence was hard to beat and closed down Rangers quickly.

The hosts nearly doubled their lead close to half-time when a deep left-wing cross was flicked goalwards, only to be pushed over the crossbar by a superb diving save by Arnett.

A few naughty challenges from both teams started to creep in, and several players found themselves the recipients of yellow cards.

Both teams had a chance each before half-time. Boroughbridge's came from another free-kick, but Arnett dived to his right and made a comfortable save, and then some neat interplay between James Flynn and Wort set up Dean, but a defender blocked his shot four yards from the goal.

Half-Time: Boroughbridge AFC Reserves 1 v 0 Kirk Deighton Rangers (ST)

Trying to get the equaliser early on, Deighton came out of the traps fighting, and a long goal-kick from Arnett picked out Brad Spencer. Twisting past his marker, he tried to get a cross in, only for it to deflect off another player for a corner.

Rangers attacked again, and Holliday nearly managed to wriggle past the centre-back, but the referee pulled the play back for a foul in the build-up incensing the Rangers bench.

The green shirts of Deighton were pushing Boorughbridge back, but they were finding quality balls into the area a problem, and three times promising attacks broke down with the final pass.

Picking the ball up outside the area, Max Bladen, who had replaced the injured Connor Weal, took a shot that ricocheted off a defender and fell into Flynn's path. Trying to pick out Holliday, his cross fell onto the roof of the net.

Rangers were getting closer to that elusive goal, and a quick throw-in by Joe Turley to Flynn saw his cross just evaded the dive of Holliday.

The tide changed, and Boroughbridge became the dominant side again and pressed down the middle. A weak backpass needed Arnett to sprint from his area to clear under pressure.

Another foul saw the hosts gain a free kick in a dangerous position, but like several times before, the shot lacked direction, and Arnett claimed without issue.

The killer goal for Boroughbridge arrived in the 72nd minute when a shot from inside the area was acrobatically pushed away by Arnett, only for the right winger to pick up the ball. An untimely slip by the covering defender allowed him to cross, which was headed home at the back post.

Dean, who had been a handful for Boroughbridge's defence all night, nearly managed to get to Arnett's long free-kick, but the home keeper managed to outjump him to claim the ball. Minutes later, he stretched to meet a cross from Spencer, but the goalkeeper was able to stop it.

Full-Time: Boroughbridge AFC Reserves 2 v 0 Kirk Deighton Rangers (ST)