Report: Rangers 3 v 1 Boroughbridge AFC

KDRAFC Media
Aug 20, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Aug 28, 2021

Rangers produced a fantastic second-half comeback to stun Boroughbridge and claim their first-ever win in the West Yorkshire Premier League.

Deighton started at a fast pace, and a long free-kick fell to Ash Tatler. Rolling the ball into Roman Neal's path, he found his shot blocked by a defender.

The game settled into a midfield battle with both sides hardly venturing near the other's area, and when they did, the outcome was usually a raised offside flag.

Boroughbridge stepped up the intensity and put Deighton under pressure, but Joe Wilks, Luke Dubery, Harvey Ribbons, Conor Buckley stood firm, although a free-kick did cause a slight moment of uncertainty as it glanced the outside of Joe Palmer's post.

Rangers were reduced to long clearances to release the pressure, and half chances fell to Neal and Tatler, but they couldn't get a shot on target.

Getting to grips with the game, Rangers started to apply pressure of their own, and Rob Holliday collected a weak clearance from Ali Thompson's cross. Passing to Conor Buckley, his cross was overhit, and no Deighton player could get to it.

The visitors survived a penalty shout when Josh Barden went down under a challenge. Getting up, he harried the defender into making a mistake, but his shot was straight at the keeper.

It was Deighton's turn to survive a penalty shout in the 31st minute when a shot hit a defender's arm. Waving play on, the referee indicated that his arms were in a natural position.

Rangers had found their shooting boots, and both Tatler and Thompson had chances, with the former shooting over and the keeper producing another good save to block the latter.

A superb run by Neal saw him sprint with the ball into the right of Bridge's area, pulling the ball back to Tatler, it was just behind him, and the striker couldn't adjust in time.

Boroughbridge took the lead against the run of play in the 40th minute, although it was a superb volley from just inside the area that flew over Palmer after a poor clearance landed at his feet.

The half ended with Barden spinning his marker, but his cross was too close to the keeper who caught it.

Half-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 0 v 1 Boroughbridge AFC

A tweak in player positions by management at half-time turned out to be a masterstroke as Deighton powered out of the traps and were level in the 47th minute. A pinpoint cross by Thompson on the right picked out Tatler, and his bullet header left the keeper grasping thin air.

Boroughbridge always looked dangerous from set-pieces, and a free-kick was headed just wide at the back post.

Thompson was heavily involved in everything that came down the right-wing, and a cheeky nutmeg of the Bridge defender saw him pick out Neal, but his header looped over the crossbar.

A cross-field ball found Thompson, who released Harvey Ribbons. Keeping his cool, he rolled it past the onrushing keeper and into the back of the net on 56 minutes.

With Rangers in control of the match, Holliday and Tatler had shots blocked in succession before Neal shot just wide.

Barden and Tatler produced a flowing one-two on the edge of the area, but again, a lunging defender blocked the shot. Quickly back on the attack, Thompson curled his cross to the back post, but Tatler couldn't reach it.

Boroughbridge produced a rare attack down the right flank, but a powerfully struck shot was turned away at full stretch by Palmer.

Bridge's keeper was called into action again in the 74th minute when he just managed to push Ribbon's cross-shot over the bar.

Rangers were hunting their third goal, and Tatler came close with a shot that beat both keeper and post before Jake Little, who had replaced Neal, burst into the area, only to see his shot saved.

Tatler did manage to beat the keeper again in the 79th minute. However, as his shot arrowed towards goal, a defender just managed to deflect it wide a foot away from the goal line.

In the final minute, Rangers got their third goal when Ribbons played a beautiful pass into Thompson's path, and he calmly placed it past the keeper.

Full-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 3 v 1 Boroughbridge AFC

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