Rangers put their midweek blip against Kings Langley behind them as they returned to winning ways with a convincing victory over Sawbridgeworth Town. What made the win even more impressive was that Risborough played over the half the game with only ten men following an, err, ‘interesting’ decision by Ref Mr. Sawmynaden to dismiss Jack Hutchinson just before half-time.

The visitors started well enough, Raheem Gray putting a header over the bar after just two minutes and another effort going just wide a couple of minutes later. Hassan Jalloh then saw a toe poked strike just miss the Sawbridgeworth goal on ten minutes before Rangers made the breakthrough on 24 minutes. Elliott Buchanan fed a ball through to Hutchinson whose shot was parried by keeper Jimmy Parker but only into the path of Andri Chiriac who had no problem putting it into the gaping net.

Both sides then enjoyed periods pf possession without really troubling the opposing keeper. Just before the break, however, Jack Hutchinson was fouled near the halfway line. The Ref blew for a free-kick to the home side but whilst Jack was on the floor the visitors Austen Garrod kicked the ball at him, prompting a brief coming together which saw Garrod do his best to earn an entry for the following days Oscars by throwing himself to the floor. Rather than defuse the situation with a telling off or at most a yellow card to both players, Mr Sawmynaden brandished a straight red to Hutchinson, much to the amazement of the 117 strong crowd, 118 of whom thought it was wrong. To compound the situation, he then awarded the free kick restart to the visitors.

Sawbridgeworth made a couple of subs at the break and went in search of an equaliser at the start of the second period. Within then minutes, however, they fell further behind as a long clearance was nodded by Buchanan into the path of Rio Connell who held off his marker to calmly slot past Parker. Two became three just a couple of minutes later as Buchanan beat Parker to the ball on the edge of the area and though his first effort was cleared off the line, the striker made no mistake with his follow up.

Three minutes later, unbelievably, it was 4-0 to the ten men. A mistake at the heart of the visitors defence let in Buchanan who very calmly beat his defender and sent in an inch perfect lob that gave Parker no chance. Wonderful.

The 69th minute saw a great chance for Rangers to notch number five as Josh Williams danced his way into the visitors box only to see his shot hit the post. Carl Stewart followed up but somehow his shot cannoned off the bar. Incredible!

The home side did get a deserved fifth on 81 minutes when Jon-Jo Bates got between two defenders and sent a wonderful chip over Parker. Great goal.

It should have been six to the home side in the dying minutes when Bates fed Manny Williams who slotted home at the second attempt only to see the goal disallowed, for what only Mr. Sawmynaden knows why.

Five goals, two of them Goal Of The Season contenders, a clean sheet, three points and a move back into the Play Off zone, What’s not to like!