Report: Rangers (ST) 0 v 4 Field AFC Reserves

KDRAFC Media
Mar 6, 2022
3 min read

'The scoreline flattered us' was the verdict of the Field AFC Reserves manager as three late goals saw Rangers' second-team fall to a harsh 4-0 defeat at Barr Field.

Utilising a new formation, Manager Kris Macdonald and his management team of John-Paul Williams and Chris Plews hoped to make Deighton secure, and for a while, it seemed to work as Field struggled to break Rangers down.

The match started slowly, with the ball stuck in midfield as both teams struggled to strike up a decent tempo. A free-kick to Field was placed well wide of its intended target, and Deighton cleared the danger.

Connor Weal and Liam Dean combined to allow the latter a chance to progress down the left-wing, but a good challenge took the ball away from him. Field countered down their right flank. Cutting into the area, it needed a good save low to his left by Kieran Arnett to deny the opening goal.

Field were pushing Deighton back, and it needed good tackles from both Phil Turner and Ben Barraclough to prevent the visitors from shooting.

Playing through the centre, Rich Jenner released Andy Wort, and despite beating the first defender, he couldn't get past the second one.

Arnett had to be alert to divert the ball clear when a deep cross found the man at the back post, and he managed to beat the defender before shooting.

A corner to Rangers fell to Mike Tasker in the area, and he managed to loop his shot towards goal only to see it cleared from just in front of the goal line.

Rangers' resilience was broken in the 24th minute when a cross from the right saw their attacker reach the ball before Arnett and Barraclough, and his shot crept under Arnett's dive and nestled in the net.

A free-kick to Rangers was flicked on by Jenner, but no other blue shirt had gambled, and the ball was scooped up by the Field goalkeeper.

An injury to Tasker in the 38th minute saw Matthew Lurcuck enter the game. Within seconds of play restarting, Lurcuck went on a run but was penalised for an infringement that infuriated the Deighton bench.

Chances were falling for both teams, with Wort coming close for Rangers and Arnett saving a low drive and then a superbly timed challenge by Barraclough.

The half ended with Field temporarily reduced to ten men after protests went too far and the referee had heard enough.

Half-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers (ST) 0 v 1 Field AFC Reserves

Both teams started the second half with vigour, and Arnett had to stick out a leg to deflect a fierce drive wide, while at the other end, a long shot by Dan Flynn went wide.

A misplaced pass saw a Deighton move break down, but as Field surged into the area, another superbly timed tackle from Barraclough prevented the shot.

Arnett had to make another good diving save to his right as a ball over the backline caught Deighton's defence flat-footed. Minutes later, the keeper watched as another shot by Field went harmlessly over his crossbar.

A long ball from defence nearly caught the visitors out, but just managing to beat Spencer to the ball, Field's defender slid in and conceded a corner.

Barraclough was playing a superb match, and it needed another well-timed intervention to put the Field player off as he prepared to shoot.

With Rangers enjoying a good spell, Barraclough picked out Lurcuck, but as the young striker was about to shoot, the keeper dived at his feet to smother the ball.

Spencer had found a pocket of space on the left wing, and his deep cross nearly picked out Dean, but the bounce deceived the striker, and the chance went begging.

It was substitute Finlay Appleton who nearly equalised when he controlled Weal's pass and beat two Field defenders before shooting straight at the keeper.

With tired legs starting to play a part, Rangers succumbed to Field's pressure when a cross was only headed straight to a green shirt inside the area, and he shot over Arnett's dive and into the roof of the net in the 79th minute.

Two minutes later, it was game over after a mistake in Deighton's defence saw the ball bounce to a Field player, and he raced into the area before shooting across Arnett and into the far corner.

The gloss was added in the final minute when another long pass caught Deighton out, and the cross was converted, despite Arnett and Flynn trying to stop it.

Full-Time: Kirk Deighton Rangers (ST) 0 v 4 Field AFC Reserves