Risborough Manager Gary Meakin said he had aged 15 years during this game and he wasn’t the only one as Rangers made hard work of overcoming an organised and determined Potton United whose performance belied their lowly league position.

Straight from kick-off the visitors fashioned a chance as a cross was whizzed across the Rangers area needing only a tap in to convert but luckily (for Risborough) no one was there to provide it. Once Rangers settled, however, they started to fashion good chances of their own. On 5 minutes Alex Cathline showed nimble footwork to beat his marker but sadly scuffed his final shot. A couple of minutes later the lively Rio Connell went on a mazy run, his shot bringing out a save from Potton’s Sam Galatis. The keeper was also equal to another Rio effort on the quarter hour mark and the winger will feel he should have done better on 25 minutes when a bout of ‘ping-pong’ in the visitors area saw Rio put his effort wide when well placed.

The home side’s best effort came on 27 minutes when a fine run by Rio set up Frank Keita (one of three players making their Rangers debut) but his powerful shot cannoned off the bar and away to safety.

Against the run of play Potton took the lead. A free-kick on the edge of the area on 37 minutes took a deflection off the Rangers wall, wrong footed keeper Ben Bridle-Card and trickled over the line. This ‘wake-up’ call finally led to a Rangers equaliser on the stroke of half-time as a free-kick by Fabien Etienne was knocked across the goal and Keita was on hand to poke the ball home.

The second half saw Rangers have plenty of early possession and they should have taken the lead on 55 minutes when Keita was through one-on-one with the keeper but put his effort well wide. The visitors seemed content to soak up the pressure ad play on the counter leading to a bizarre incident in the 75th minute when forward Lucas Titchmarsh chased a long ball, was beaten to it by Bridle-Card who was then caught by a late contact from the forward. The Referee, Peter Kwak, produced a straight red card but after been shouted at by everyone in a blue shirt he reduced it to a yellow. In fairness, a yellow was about the right punishment but the decision brought a mixture of bewilderment and hilarity from those watching.

A fine run by Septembers’ Player Of The Month Exauce ‘EK‘ Kifwasima in the 80th minute set up an on-rushing Connell but his effort went inches wide of the left post. Just as it looked like Rangers were going to drop points at home for the second consecutive weekend, on 90 minutes Josh Williams went on one of his trademark twisting runs and he was upended in the area. Up stepped Frank Keita to slot home the resulting penalty and cue a massive feeling of relief amongst the home support.