Report: Hunslet Club Reserves 1 v 6 Rangers (ST)

KDRAFC Media
Nov 2, 2022
3 min read

Having ended Oxenhope Recreation Reserves' unbeaten start to the season, our Second Team looked to claim back-to-back victories with a win against Hunslet Club Reserves.

With a striker crisis at the club, Danny Grannon stepped back into the fold to help ease the pressure on the management and the team. By the end of the match, he was pretty glad he had!

Hunslet attacked first when they cut through the middle of the pitch. However, their shot from the edge of the area was straight at Kieran Arnett, and he smothered the ball at his post.

With two minutes on the clock, Aidan Dubery opened the scoring when the defender misjudged Brad Spencer's cross, and Dubery nipped in and placed his shot through the keeper's legs.

A through ball by Dan Wort set Grannon off on a one-on-one with Hunslet's keeper, but in the end, his shot failed to trouble him as it rolled wide.

Four minutes after the first goal, Deighton doubled their lead when Ben Barraclough headed Spencer's corner into Grannon's path, and he steered his header above the defender on the line and into the net.

Deighton piled on the pressure, and Jordan Walsh just missed out on a loose ball in the area. The clearance fell to Mike McCartney, who noticed the keeper stranded and tried a speculative return, but his shot drifted wide of the goal.

Hunslet halved the deficit five minutes later when a massive deflection off Barraclough from a shot outside the area wrong-footed Arnett, and he could only watch as the ball shaved the inside of the post and nestled in the net.

With the initial action over, the game became a scrappy affair, with both teams unable to create many worthwhile chances. Spencer came close when played through, but the keeper managed to palm his shot onto the crossbar before collecting it at the second attempt.

The match became an action-packed affair again, and both keepers had to pull off decent saves to prevent further goals.

In the 38th minute, Deighton finally increased their lead when the referee overruled Hunslet's protests that a foul had occurred and allowed play to continue. Carrying the ball forward, McCartney played in Grannon, and with his first touch, he powered his shot into the net.

Half-Time: Hunslet Club Reserves 1 v 3 Rangers (ST)

Hunslet started the second half on the front foot, but the shot flew over Deighton's crossbar.

Dubery was having a great game and nearly claimed his second goal when he beat his marker before unleashing a fierce shot that rebounded off the crossbar.

Deighton's fourth goal was a case of back to front as Arnett's long goal kick was controlled by Grannon, who set Spencer off down the left wing. Playing a cross into the area, Dubery was there to steer the ball home from close range in the 51st minute.

Hunslet took control of the game for a while, and it needed a stretching intervention by Barraclough to prevent their left winger from breaking free. On the other side, Dan Flynn and Dan Wort had to combine to shut down several promising avenues of attack for the green shirts.

Grannon claimed his hat-trick in the 66th minute after some good work by Dubery forced the defender into conceding a corner. Putting in another inch-perfect cross, Spencer picked out Grannon, and he powered his header into the net.

Despite having the superior scoreline, Deighton were not enjoying all the play, and Arnett had to make a stop close to his line moments after Barraclough had made another strong block tackle on the right side of the defence.

Hunslet had a golden chance to pull a goal back in the 73rd minute when their player steered his shot wide of the target from close range.

With the old adage of "if it ain't broken, don't fix it." ringing true, Rangers worked two good opportunities for Grannon from Spencer's crosses, but the first went wide, with the keeper saving well the second time.

It was Arnett's turn to pull off a good save as he dived full-length to his right to hold onto a shot that had come through a sea of legs.

For the second time during the game, the frame of the goal came to Hunslet's rescue as Dan Wort's shot beat the keeper but cannoned back off the post.

Rangers completed the scoring in the 89th minute when John-Paul Williams (who had replaced Dubery) picked out Grannon with an over-the-top pass, and Grannon volleyed it home from the edge of the area.

Full-Time: Hunslet Club Reserves 1 v 6 Rangers (ST)