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First Team
Matches
Sat 25 Jan 2025  ·  Premier Division North
Risborough Rangers
First Team
A Amu (16'), (55' Pen)
2
2
Reading City
E Cowd (41'), J Baines (51')
Battle In The Mud Ends All Square.

Battle In The Mud Ends All Square.

Rob Cairney27 Jan - 13:03

Another draw for Rangers as they share four goals with Reading City.

BATTLE IN THE MUD ENDS ALL SQUARE

Another draw for Rangers as they share four goals with Reading City

Bob Rayner reports

Rangers entertained Reading City on Saturday on a difficult and muddy surface at the Kamtech Stadium with both teams at the wrong end of the table, the visitors just two places above Risborough. Looking at the table before the game, Reading had drawn five and Rangers had drawn 10, so if I'd been a betting man I would have gone for a draw, and so it was, with Rangers making it 11 draws from their 24 league matches to date! City were off to a flying start before the pitch started to cut up, with Rangers keeper, Dave Saunders, being called upon several times including one excellent parry, Joe Fitzgerald blocking the follow up with a well timed tackle. Reading's most effective weapon was the long throw, which tested the Rangers defence throughout. In the ninth minute City hit the post with a header from an in-swinging free kick before Rangers scrambled the loose ball clear. Rangers' back four continued to be tested until the16th minute when, against the run of play, the home side broke away with a fine move involving Luke Kalule and Kyle Matthew, the final ball being fed to centre forward, Arel Amu, to sweep the ball home with a flourish. Four minutes later there was a bad miss at the far post by City following another long throw, before the visitors forced a couple of corners that were well marshalled by Rangers. Around the 30 minute mark it was Rangers turn to force a couple of corners, one of which ended with a good effort from Matthew well blocked. City hit back with Saunders punching a dangerous cross clear and then tipping an angled drive wide. Fitzgerald was again forced to make a timely block as City piled on the pressure and in the 41st minute the equaliser came. A deep corner to the far post saw City's Cowd completely unmarked where he headed home to level the scores. A minute to the break and Saunders scooped away a volley from the edge of the box but the last action of the half had Rangers' Lewis Horn-Haynes fire a free kick high over the City bar from 25 yards.

Rangers enjoyed more of the second period despite the pitch, but it was City out from the traps initially with an early corner, Saunders doing well to tip a header over the bar. Rangers then countered with pace and forced a corner with a deflected shot, the resultant kick scrambled clear by the visitors. Two minutes later and City were ahead; Breaking down the Rangers right, Risborough's Walsh was caught out and the ball was neatly teed up for Baines to slam home. One could be forgiven for thinking that Rangers may fold, but substitute, Mohamed Ihid, had other ideas and two minutes later produced a superb surging run into the City penalty area where he was brought down by a desperate lunge. There were no arguments from the visitors when the referee pointed to the spot, with Amu duly dispatching the spot kick to even things up. This encouraged the home side and with the visitors appearing to tire Rangers took the initiative. Rangers' Alie Bangura should have scored when he raced clear, denied by a good save low down. Soon after, Horn-Haynes cut inside to shoot, his effort well held by the City keeper. City rallied a little with Saunders dealing well with a couple of high balls before both sides settled into a stalemate, with both defences coping well. With five minutes remaining though City were clear with just Saunders to beat, a weak shot straight at the Rangers keeper was the outcome however, as the game wound its way to an inevitable draw. A good point for this new look Rangers and signs that new manager, Kevin Christou, is putting together a squad that can compete. With experienced players like Curtis Chapple and Josh Chamberlain to return and the promise of a couple more new signings, hopefully Rangers will start to move away from the wrong end of the table. A tough game against Hillside next Saturday beckons however, on the 3g surface at Beaconsfield, but at least they won't have to deal with the mud!

Rangers Man of the Match: Kyle Matthew. A fine performance on a difficult surface. Matthews was involved in all that was good from Rangers, popping up where needed and putting in a real shift.

Match details

Match date

Sat 25 Jan 2025

Kickoff

15:00

Attendance

101

Competition

Premier Division North

League position

15
Reading City
18
Risborough Rangers
Further reading

Team Sponsors

MAIN SPONSORS - KAMTECH
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Partnership Sponsor - SRD Engineering
Associate Sponsor - Practice to People
Associate Sponsor - Scancross
Partnership Sponsor - Mills CNC