This was the game we’d all been waiting for. Although we sat at the top of the table we knew we’d been in for a ruff ride on Saturday.
Eden Rangers were definitely the best footballing team we’d come up against in years when we beat them in the cup back in October.
A well organized young team, very confident on the ball and not shy of a few hard tackles.
With one or two key players out the team took on a slightly different feel. Bayley slotted in at left back and we welcomed Huffers back into the side, with Shaggy and 2 Gun Willy returning on the bench.
Rangers had a couple of very good chances early on but thwarted every time with some great saves from the impressive Nice Guy in the B&A sticks. Just goes to show age is just a number!
In between soaking up pressure, there was some good football being played. The Slug was doing his best to link the play and Ferg was trying desperately trying to find away through down the left.
Midway through the half disaster struck, some Crazy Gang route one football that would of made Joe Kinnear proud caught the B&A home guard napping at the back and left the little Rangers forward as relatively easy tasking of running clear and slotting home.
All credit to the boys in black their heads didn’t drop.
The final product never really came in the first half and a Gammon drive just over the bar was the closest we came.
It was 2-0 before the break, a poor goal kick and an inability to clear the danger lead to a sloppy goal we’d all rather forget!!
Into the 2nd half and again heads didn’t drop and the work rate was steady.
Nice Guy impressed again with a great reactions save and even a mazy little run up the right wing (just like the old days only you didn’t quite get close enough to shoot)
Robbie G kept working hard in the final 3rd of the pitch chasing every ball and putting in some tackles even young Bayley would be proud of.
Bitch Cowan came on as sub and made a worthy contribution, indeed it was his cross into the box that led to a B&A pen. Unfortunately it was well saved by the Rangers keeper who then had to be carried off the pitch with an injury. We believe it was the sheer power of Bayley’s spot kit that did the damage.
Hopefully its not serious and we all wish him a speedy recovery.
We conceded two more goals before the end and again the closest we came was a long range effort striking the ‘stanchion’ (I believe its called) this time from the Slug.
A few lessons to be learnt again but all in all not a bad display against a very good side
