Report: Knaresborough Town Reserves 2 v 2 Rangers

KDRAFC Media
Jan 23, 2022
3 min read

Ash Tatler's penalty in the game's final seconds secured Rangers a point and, in the process, denied Knaresborough Town Reserves the chance to close the gap on third-placed Horsforth St. Margarets.

Manager Dan Marshall had to make several changes with Jonty Smith ruled out through injury and Harvey Ribbons unavailable. In came Kieran Arnett and Jack Cheetham to replace them. Former Knaresborough player James Flynn was also named in the fourteen man squad.

The first few minutes of the game belonged to the hosts as they looked to grab an early goal. However, they were thwarted in their attempts by a wall of blue shirts that refused to give way.

A passing move including Mason Sheridan-Hawley, Rob Holliday, and Jack Cheetham set Roman Neal off running the right-wing. Crossing towards the back post, Tatler stretched but couldn't connect with the ball.

After a spell of good football, Knaresborough won a free-kick just outside Rangers' area, but the flick-on was straight at Arnett.

Rangers put the Knaresborough defence under pressure, but Neal couldn't reach Jake Little's header before the Knaresborough goalkeeper.

Knaresborough survived a penalty appeal in the 11th minute when Tatler looked like he had been fouled when going for the ball. However, the referee disagreed, and the play continued.

Arnett was called into action to push clear a cross-cum-shot from a free-kick after Rangers had conceded another free-kick in a dangerous position.

Deighton caught Knaresborough out with a direct ball that Tatler controlled and forced a one-on-one with Knaresborough's keeper. However, the gloveman denied him with a superb block low down.

Rangers were picking up the ball well in midfield but found Knaresborough's defence hard to breach, and several promising moves ended with either a superb tackle or the offside flag.

Knaresborough gave Rangers a scare with a long pass that needed Josh Buckley to delay their striker long enough that the shot was straight at Arnett.

An injury to Luke Dubery in the 31st minute saw him have to leave the pitch with Mike McCartney replacing him.

Both goalkeepers were being kept busy, with Arnett having to race from his line to clear before a pair of red shirts could get to the ball. At the other end, Knaresborough's keeper saved McCartney's shot.

Knaresborough fluffed a golden chance to take the lead when their striker managed to charge down Arnett's attempted clearance. Going around the keeper, the striker rolled his shot across the face of the goal, and Rangers cleared.

Half-Time: Knaresborough Town Reserves 2 v 2 Kirk Deighton Rangers

Knaresborough surged down the pitch and won a free-kick that Arnett, diving to his right, superbly turned onto the post.

The direct ball caught the hosts out again, but their keeper pulled off another good block to keep Tatler's shot out.

The opening goal came in the 58th minute when Knaresborough produced some lovely football down the right-wing. Passing to the striker, he shot from outside the area, which took a slight deflection off a defender and lifted it over the reach of Arnett.

The goal seemed to fire something up in Rangers, and they hemmed Knaresborough into their half for several minutes. A couple of inswing corners by the lively Josh Barden caused the hosts problems, with the Knaresborough keeper having to punch clear from under his crossbar.

Getting back into the game, Knaresborough attacked through the middle, and a turn and shot, after Josh Buckley had stopped the first effort, was blocked by Arnett.

Rangers protested vigorously about Knaresborough's second goal in the 70th minute when the ball was poked home on the line by a red shirt. However, with Arnett in front of him, Rangers believed he was offside, but the referee disagreed, and the goal stood.

It was Rangers turn to celebrate five minutes later when Barden's free-kick was headed home by McCartney, leaving the Knaresborough keeper flat-footed.

Knaresborough turned up the pressure again, and Harrison intervened to prevent the striker from getting a clean shot away.

Sensing that an equaliser was achievable, Rangers started to turn the game their way, and James Flynn (who had replaced Little) saw his shot blocked.

Cheetham was giving the Knaresborough full-back a torrid time, and again he produced a superb cross that saw Knaresborough's keeper have to leap higher than Tatler to clear. Minutes later, a long throw was cleared only as far as Barden, and his shot from the edge of the area was well saved again.

In the 94th minute, Rangers won a penalty after a defender raised his hands to deflect a shot. Keeping his cool, Tatler sent the keeper the wrong way to equalise and spark some impressive celebrations!

Full-Time: Knaresborough Town Reserves 2 v 2 Kirk Deighton Rangers