WALLINGFORD GAIN REVENGE

After 2 good wins over the Easter Bank Holiday against Egham and Ardley, Rangers returned to the Kamtech Saturday with another under par performance losing 3-1 at the hands of Wallingford and Crowmarsh who were well worthy of their victory.  

With the play offs still a real possibility and at home playing against a side that has struggled much of the season and a rampant Rangers beat the visitors 5-0 in the reverse fixture back in November. There was a mood of optimism before KO with Rangers knowing they needed to win to keep up their outside chance of sneaking into the top 5, starting 4 points off Milton who occupied the last spot. 

Unfortunately like many games this season the performance did not match the expectation nor the quality of players that Rangers were able to field. There is no doubt the surface of the pitch is an on-going concern, bumpy making passing a challenge add in a strong wind and the crowd of 116 were subjected to a very poor game. 

Ris started up the slope and in the opening exchanges had to deal with a few sporadic free kicks but nothing of note from the visitors, Rangers were also unable to add any moments of quality opting for a long balls which Toomey did his best to battle with Hackett and James finding it difficult to get past the stubborn hard working defence of Wallingford. 

Hackett had a few runs of note and a shot off target and the Wallingford keeper did well to defend a great ball from the right by Toomey with James lurking. With no real quality in the final third, Wallingford were content to hit Rangers on the counter one such attack ending with Thorne in the book. It was truly an awful spectacle. Wallingford has the first chance of note when a goalmouth scramble was cleared by Rangers with the visitors really should have made it one nil. 

Toomey had a half chance from Peake-Pijnen's free kick heading wide. On the stroke of half time Wallingford made the break through, awful defending from Ris allowed Higgs to score from close range, 1-0 Wallingford.

In the second half with Rangers down the slope the home supporters were hoping that a new fired up Rangers would show up but unfortunately it was the visitors who doubled their lead hesitancy in clearing his lines by Josh Stranks allowed Higgs to double their lead to extend the Ris horror show. Josh is a young defender who will learn from this, and was substituted soon after in favour of Liam Enver-Marum as an extra striker. 

Rangers continued to huff and puff but in fairness it was the visitors who really looked like they wanted it more, Ris swapped James for Williams to try and change the dynamics but the continuing use of balls into the channels was a fruitless strategy for Rangers meaning possession kept changing hands with Wallingford looking dangerous on the break. The home sides fate was sealed when a shot was parried by Hill in the Ris goal straight to Higgs for his hattrick who gleefully took his chance. 

Just before this Captain Josh Urquhart replaced Gilmore and in injury time Toomey pulled one back from the penalty spot for a shirt pull that was well spotted by the referee who had a very good game. It was scant consolation for the home side who had a delivered a very poor performance. Rangers are on the road Tuesday night against Edgware and hopefully a better performance that this one. 

MOM difficult as no one did themselves justice but top scorer Lewis Toomey never stopped battling and converted the penalty.