Ranger Warning!!!
Late Late Equaliser Foils Heyside
A last gasp equaliser from Withington Rangers saw Heyside drop their first points of the season in a game of two halves at Wright Robinson Sports College as Rangers fought back from a 2 goal half time deficit to earn a deserved 2-2 draw.
Jack had to play a more defensive role today alongside Lennon as Joel was missing due to a family commitment but the game started in promising fashion for Heyside as they took the lead through Louis after 8 minutes. The lead was extended 4 minutes later as a long range shot from Jack escaped the keeper’s grasp and crept over the line to put the Heyside team into a commanding 2 goal lead.
The warning signs had been flashing though as Withington fought to get back into the game and George was forced to make a fine save to keep the Rangers at bay. Half time arrived with the score at 2-0 to Heyside but, as I tried to point out to the boys at the break, the game was far from over and a lot of hard work was still needed to seal a victory.
Whatever the Withington coaches said at half time certainly had more effect than my warning as the Rangers pressured and passed their way right back into the match. A goal was pulled back following a goalmouth scramble after a corner was again not cleared and this gave them the belief that they could get something from the game. We still had chances to clinch the victory but I felt that we didn’t look to pass the ball enough today and opportunities were wasted. This coupled to a reluctance to tackle and fight for the ball gave Withington the chance they were looking for and following yet another free kick awarded within shooting distance, the ball was smashed home from outside the box to put the game back all square at 2-2.
Withington really had their tails up as their coaches urged them to go on and win the game. But credit to our boys as the 2 best chances to win the game fell to Heyside as first the ball was hacked away from Ryan and Louis for a corner kick after great play by Matty, and then Ryan curled a shot just wide of the far post following good play from Jack. The draw felt like a defeat as the final whistle blew but in the end a valuable point was earned against a good Withington team.
MOM: Outstanding performance today by Lennon – head and shoulders over everyone and a real captain’s display. Other positives today were good games from Jake and Luke, goals again from Louis and Jack and good saves from George who, with more experience will be a great asset to the team. Overall a good point gained as we were missing a key player in Joel but I know with more belief and commitment the players can perform much better than today.
