Report: Rangers 2 v 4 Rawdon Old Boys

KDRAFC Media
Oct 27, 2020
4 min read

Charlie Yates scores in first-half but Rawdon score two.
Mason Sheridan-Hawley scores in second-half but visitors score twice again.
Yates sees red card following altercation in Rawdon's penalty area.

In keeping with forthcoming Halloween traditions, Rangers produced a Jekyll and Hyde performance that saw league Leaders Rawdon Old Boys take all three points with a 4-2 win.

Gutsy, determined individual displays mixed in with ill-discipline and a lack of passion is never a good recipe, and in certain aspects, Rangers will need to have a good long hard look at themselves following this match!

As expected, Rawdon made the early running, and it wasn't long before a shot from just inside the area flew over debutant keeper Joe Palmer's crossbar.

Rangers slowly got into the game, and it was mainly through the tough-tackling of Joe Barden. However, it was clear to see that Rawdon were taking every opportunity to wind the midfielder up and after one outburst too many, he found himself sin-binned for ten minutes.

Despite being down in numbers, Rangers produced some decent play, and Josh Barden's cross nearly released George Widdows, but a handball saw the away side awarded a free-kick.

With ten minutes on the clock, Rawdon broke the deadlock after some good passing around Rangers' area found their player, and he curled his shot into the net via the inside of the post.

With a full complement of players again, the game became a midfield battle with both sides producing some feisty challenges.

A slip in Deighton's area nearly proved costly, but Luke Dubery produced a well-timed block before Palmer smothered the rebound.

Match photo — Charlie scores from the spot.

Combining well on both sides of Rawdon's area, the Barden brothers fashioned a chance for Widdows, but his header from six yards went over. Minutes later and a glancing header across the visitor's goal by Joe Wilks needed a tough at the far post, but no blue shirts had gambled, and the ball rolled out of play.

It was a penalty after a foul on Charlie Yates that brought Deighton level in the 32nd minute. Despite guessing the right way, the keeper was unable to stop Yates from claiming his first goal of the season.

The old saying of never more vulnerable than after you have just scored rang true for Rangers as Rawdon restored their lead two minutes later. The ball broke kindly to the visitors in Rangers' area following a Deighton tackle, and it was despatched past Palmer's dive.

Half-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 1 v 2 Rawdon Old Boys

A neat bit of passing afforded Rawdon the first chance of the second half, but having to hook his foot around the ball, the shot went high.

Dominic Walton, who had replaced Joe Barden, found himself the recipient of a yellow card, as his mistimed tackle caught the Rawdon player as he tried to sprint free.

Rawdon scored their third goal in the 56th minute following some good pressing down the left. A deep cross found their player in the box, and he turned and shot past Palmer.

Free-kicks were becoming a mundane feature of the game, and it was a Rangers one that nearly paid dividends as Dubery tried to backheel Barden's set-piece into Walton's path, but a Rawdon defender intervened and cleared.

Frustrated by Rawdon's tactics, Yates earned himself a booking as he tried to stop the opposition from taking a free-kick from the wrong place.

A rather spectacular, goal in the 71st minute reduced the arrears as Mason Sheridan-Hawley's cross from some distance deceived the keeper and dropped into the far corner of the net.

Palmer was called into action again as he produced a fine diving save to his left to push a stinging drive wide.

Rangers were permanently reduced to ten men in the 77th minute when Yates received a second yellow card for pushing an opponent away from Roman Neal after the striker tangled with a Rawdon defender. In the resultant melee, Neal and the Rawdon player also received a yellow card each.

The imbalance in numbers seemed to spur Rangers on, and for a while, it looked like the home side might nick a draw. Looking sharper as a team, Harvey Ribbons and Wilks both prevented Rawdon from breaking with some brave tackles and upfront substitute Jake Little was a handful for the visitor's backline to contain.

Rawdon put some gloss on the scoreline after a free-kick in the final minute was redirected past Palmer from close range.

Full-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 2 v 4 Rawdon Old Boys

In Review: Not our worst performance by a country mile, but also nowhere near our best. We need to remember that we are a team and start playing like one. There were too many individual battles that we lost which we could have won with togetherness.

Match report by KDRAFC Media.