Report: Rangers 3 v 1 Gomersal & Cleckheaton

KDRAFC Media
Mar 27, 2022
4 min read

Rangers successfully navigated a potential 'banana skin' of a match to increase their winning run to six games and, in the process, lift themselves above Rawdon Old Boys into sixth place in the league table.

Deighton showed their attacking intent within minutes of the game starting, but as Roman Neal ran onto the pass, the play was brought back for offside.

A moment of indecision in Deighton's defence allowed Gomersal to collect the ball and fire a shot over Jonty Smith's crossbar.

The game saw the first goal arrive on four minutes when Jack Cheetham picked out Adam Carter with a cross. Carter produced a clever flick into Neal's path, and the striker hit a low shot across the keeper and into the far side of the goal.

The visitors came very close to producing an instant reply when they won a corner that needed Smith to get a touch which forced their striker to readjust as he hit it, and as a consequence, the shot went wide.

A pass down the left flank released Mike McCartney, but as he raced into the area and used his strength to fend off a defender, the Gomersal player just managed to get a foot in and take the ball away.

Gomersal were buzzing around Deighton and twice forced the blue shirts to retreat. First saw a deep cross placed too close to Smith, who managed to catch it, and then a good move through the middle of the pitch was ended when Dubery intercepted the pass and cleared.

Rangers went through a period of disjointed passing that saw several long balls out to the wing or up to Carter, Neal, or Joe Wilks come nowhere close to finding their intended targets.

Carter doubled Deighton's lead in the 17th minute when he timed his run to perfection to beat Gomersal's offside trap and receive Neal's pass. Turning past the covering defender, Carter shot through the keeper's legs to find the net.

The match was stopped to allow Ribbons to receive treatment for what looked like an elbow to his face. Content that it had been accidental, the referee allowed play to resume.

Another flowing move down the left found Carter, and he managed to get past a defender, but his shot curled wide and over the crossbar.

A lovely long ball caught Deighton out, and the Gomersal striker looped his shot over Smith via a deflection off Barden, only to watch it bounce back off the base of the post.

With the impetus in Deighton's favour, Neal nearly managed to grab his second when he reached a cross, and turned his marker, but his lob over the keeper was too heavy and went over.

Half-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 2 v 0 Gomersal & Cleckheaton

Within a minute of the referee starting the second-half, Rangers had won a corner which, after a scramble, Gomersal cleared.

Boxing the visitor's in near their own corner flag, Rangers won the ball, but Wilks's overhead flick into Neal's path was overhit, and, despite trying, Neal couldn't keep it in play.

Gomersal reminded Deighton that they were not out of it when a pinpoint cross found a player a the back post, but his header was off target and crashed into the bushes behind Smith's goal.

Beating the offside trap, Neal headed the ball into a position to be able to shoot, but the Gomersal keeper dived to his right and pushed it away with a good save.

Rangers were putting the pressure on, and a Rob Holliday shot from outside the area went over before Cheetham was called offside in a very tight decision.

The visitors were playing some lovely one-touch football down both flanks, but they were suffering from a poor final ball, and another deep cross flew over their striker's head when he was in a good position.

Neal nearly turned provider when his clever chip across the six-yard box found Connor Weal, who had replaced Jake Little. Twisting past a defender, Weal managed to get his shot away but saw it saved by the keeper who spread himself well.

Picking up on a loose long ball, Gomersal replied with a punt upfield, which completely caught Rangers flat-footed. Sensing the danger, Smith came to try and meet the ball, but he was beaten to it and could only watch as the Cleckheaton player scored in the 70th minute.

Rangers restored their two-goal cushion a couple of minutes later when Liam Dean, who had replaced Ribbons, intercepted a poor header back to the keeper, turned and picked out Neal arriving at the back post, who placed his shot under the custodian and into the net.

To Gomersal's credit, they kept on coming, and another deep cross needed Barden to head it clear.

Deighton found the freedom in their play that it had lacked earlier on, and several flowing moves involving substitute James Harrison, Sean, Neal and Cheetham almost bore fruit. However, an overhit final pass, an offside decision or a good block by the visiting defence stopped any goals.

Gomersal pushed down the middle again, but Josh Buckley, who had replaced Barden, produced a towering header to clear the danger.

An injury to Dubery, who had landed awkwardly after jumping for the ball, saw the defender helped from the pitch meant that Rangers played out the remaining eight minutes with ten men.

Full-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 3 v 1 Gomersal & Cleckheaton