Report: Rangers 3 v 3 Robin Hood Athletic

KDRAFC Media
Oct 10, 2021
3 min read

A last gasp goal from Ryan O'Donnell salvaged an unlikely point for Rangers, as they let a 2-1 lead slip through their fingers to trial 3-2.

Unable to field a consistent side again, and with the news that Joe Wilkes would be missing for up to eight weeks through an injury sustained at training, Manager Dan Marshall opted to partner O'Donnell with Mike McCartney in the centre of defence.

Things didn't start well for Deighton when a header from a corner beat Jonty Smith at his near post and crashed off the crossbar and into the net after just 3 minutes.

Rangers attacked, and a pass from Jake Little sent Ash Tatler on the chase, but Paul Diamond in the Robin Hood goal beat him to the ball.

Both sides had chances, but Sid Abbott headed over from Roman Neal's cross while Harvey Ribbons blocked a shot at the back post after a lovely lobbed cross had caught Deighton flat-footed.

The visitors thought they had doubled their lead in the 17th minute when another precise cross found a player at the back post, lifting the ball over Smith, the shot drifted just wide.

A quick break by Rangers found Ribbons, whose cross was cleared to Jack Cheetham. Wrapping his foot around the shot, it hit a defender and bounced clear.

Rangers were level in the 20th minute, and it was a superb header from Tatler, after a Josh Barden corner, that looped over the defence and keeper to drop into the top corner.

The goal had visibly shifted momentum away from the visitors, and some one-touch passing opened up Robin Hood's defence, but the ball rolled away from Tatler at the crucial moment.

A coming together of several players in Deighton's area led to the visitors claiming a penalty, but this was overruled by the referee, who allowed play to continue. As play broke to Tatler, he was adjudged to have pushed a defender as he slotted the ball past Diamond.

Deighton took the lead in the 32nd minute when a free-kick following a foul on Abbott found Ribbons. Looking for Tatler in the box, the ball was fell to Barden, whose shot was deflected past Diamond by a defender.

Despite a few chances for Athletic, including another superb ball to the back post, which needed McCartney to deal with it, most of the attacking came from Rangers. Neal tried to beat Diamond again in a foot race, but this time the custodian's clearance fell to Tatler, who aimed the ball back over him only for it to go wide.

The half ended with Diamond showing his bravery again as he dived at Neal's feet as the striker looked to dribble past him.

Half-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 2 v 1 Robin Hood Athletic

Deighton took the fight to Athletic at the start of the second half but were stopped in their tracks twice by the linesman signalling for offside.

A shift in the play's balance saw Rangers lose their attacking focus, and it needed a superb run and block by Barden to prevent Athletic from getting a shot away.

Working the ball outside Athletic's area, a stinging low shot by Tatler was turned away by Diamond, and a covering tackle deflected Cheetham's attempt at the back post wide.

Robin Hood were starting to turn the screw on Rangers, and several chances needed McCartney or O'Donnell to intervene.

The visitors were back on level terms in the 68th minute after Rangers failed to deal with another corner, and a header flashed back across Smith's path and deflected in off Cheetham's knee, who injured himself in the process, and was replaced by James Woodward.

Robin Hood completed the turnaround in scores in the 74th minute when, despite pressure from O'Donnell, their striker managed to get his shot away, only to Smith Smith's boot keep it out. However, following it up was another red and black shirt, and he had the simple task of tapping the ball into the net.

The game became a scrappy affair, with both sides guilty of giving away cheap free-kicks. However, neither side could turn these into anything rewarding.

With the game now in stoppage time and an end-to-end affair, Rangers won a free-kick after a foul on Neal, which gave O'Donnell the chance to shoot from twenty-five yards. Striking the ball hard, it dipped just in front of Diamond, who misjudged the flight and nestled in the bottom corner to spark raucous celebrations from the home side and support.

Full-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers 3 v 3 Robin Hood Athletic

Squad.

Starting 11	Goal	Sub	Other
Smith
Ribbons
Buckley.C
O'Donnell	92nd min
McCartney			MOM
Barden	32nd min		Yellow Card
Abbott.S		75th min
Cheetham		68th min
Neal
Tatler	20th min
Little
Substitutes
Woodward		68th min
Turley		75th min