Report: Rangers 3 v 2 Carlton Athletic

KDRAFC Media
Feb 28, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Feb 28, 2022

In a passionate team talk before the game, Manager Dan Marshall stressed the need for Rangers to get back to winning ways, and the team did it, but in true Deighton fashion, did it the hard way!

With Adam Carter starting up front alongside Jake Little and Ashley Tatler, he went up for Jack Cheetham's long pass into the box, but the linesman indicated offside as the away keeper came out and collected the ball.

A break by Conor Buckley was stopped just after the halfway line, and Carlton launched a dangerous counter which ended when their cross was overhit, and Rangers cleared.

Rangers came close to opening the scoring in the fourth minute when Mason Sheridan-Hawley headed Josh Barden's corner across the six-yard box, and Little headed just over.

Three minutes later, the opening goal did come after Carter collected Harvey Ribbon's pass and curled in a cross that the Carlton player could only divert past his keeper.

The visitors pushed Deighton back and won a couple of free-kicks in dangerous positions outside the area. Thankfully both times, they put their shot too close to Jonty Smith, and he was able to collect without too much trouble.

Ribbons produced a surging run into Carlton's area, but a superb covering tackle took the ball away from him at the vital moment.

Rangers were producing some exciting football down the right-wing, and Carter's chipped pass into the area nearly allowed Cheetham to shoot, but the keeper denied him with a save at his feet.

Carlton spurned a chance to equalise on 29 minutes when clever play allowed their winger to put in a cross that was just headed wide at the back post.

The visitors were also producing some lovely football down both wings, but Buckley and Ribbons worked hard to prevent them from being able to get the final ball in.

A pass across the area allowed Carlton's number 9 to squeeze his shot under the advancing Smith, but Luke Dubery read the play well and cleared three feet from the goal line.

A break by Tatler, who read Smith's long goal kick perfectly, produced a superb save to his left from the Carlton keeper, who collected the ball at the second attempt.

With the half in its last few minutes, Rangers were fuming when they believed that the Carlton keeper had handled outside the area, only to have their appeals brushed aside by the referee. After the protests, Carter was sent to the sin bin.

Half-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 1 v 0 Carlton Athletic

Rangers kicked off the second half with ten men as Carter served out the remainder of his ten-minute suspension, and as expected, Carlton piled on the pressure. Smith's goal kick was returned towards Deighton's area, but the half volley shot sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

Dubery was in the right place again as Carlton nearly equalised in the 52nd minute. Switching the ball onto his right foot, the Carlton striker beat Smith with his shot, but Dubery headed it over the bar.

The visitors were putting Deighton's defence under a lot of pressure, and two corners caused concern, but Rangers scrambled the ball clear both times.

With Carter allowed back on the pitch after twelve minutes, Rangers looked more balanced, and play started to switch back into their favour. A ball to Cheetham saw his shot blocked before Little took over, but his shot spun wide.

Rangers doubled their lead in the 61st minute when Tatler ran onto a pass from midfield, turned a Carlton defender and smashed his shot into the top corner from just outside the area.

Carter was next to try his luck as he sprinted past Carlton's centre backs, but his shot went the wrong side of the stanchion.

Tatler was on target again in the 70th minute when he cut in from the right-wing, held his nerve and shot across the keeper to find the bottom corner and make it 3-0 to Rangers.

It was nearly four a few minutes later when James Woodward, who had replaced Buckley, almost beat the keeper to Carter's through pass.

Carlton pulled a goal back in the 74th minute when Rangers could only clear a free-kick to the edge of their area, and a well-hit shot flew past Smith and into the top corner.

Josh Barden and Joe Turley combined well to allow the former to have a shot that went just wide of the goal.

With Carlton pushing for another goal, both Smith and James Harrison united to clear a goalbound shot, but they couldn't keep out the visitor's second goal in the 84th minute when Smith slipped at the crucial moment as he looked to have a long pass covered and the player chipped his shot over him and into the net to set up a nervy finish!

The game ended with Carter bursting into Carlton's area, but his cross was intercepted by a defender who had no time to get play moving again as the referee's whistle sounded, ending the match.

Full-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 3 v 2 Carlton Athletic