| SPECIAL K'S ARE SERIAL
THRILLERS
Five on the spin
now for Rangers and a win made all the more satisfying because we
didn't really play that well. It is games against the likes of
Colchester (no offence meant) that cost us last season and it
appears that Olly's charges are now capable of picking up easy
points when they are offered.
Yet again Holloway had the rare
opportunity of picking an unchanged starting line up. Carlisle
passed a fitness test on a slight hamstring strain collected in
training and once again formed the foundation for the team to be
built upon. As seems to be the case these days Rangers started
quickly but there seemed to be something missing.
Whilst we were pinging the ball around
in midfield we seemed to be creating very little in terms of
chances. Our first effort on goal was a fierce drive from Langley
that was palmed away comfortably by Simon Brown in the Colchester
goal. The problem appeared to be stemming from the fact that the
front two of Gallen and Oli were having trouble retaining the ball.
Maybe we have been spoilt by the form
of Gallen in the past few weeks but he seemed to be a little off the
money. I'm not sure if the fact that Dennis Oli was getting a
pasting from the Colchester defenders was putting too much pressure
on him. Indeed, he seemed to pick up considerably when Oli succumbed
to injury after 34 minutes to be replaced by Furlong. All of a
sudden Furlong was taking the brunt of the challenges and Gallen was
allowed to start playing.
All the while the Colchester defence
were managing to restrict Rangers to long-range efforts. Karl
Connolly volleyed over from a Tommy Williams cross and Terrell
Forbes sent a stinging drive over Brown's crossbar. Matthew Rose
also banged one well over as Rangers sought to try and gain an
advantage before the crowd started to get a little restless.
The opening goal when it came was a
courtesy of a mesmeric piece of attacking play from Carlisle. He
intercepted the ball on the edge of his own box and set off on a
rampaging run through midfield. His progress went unchecked and he
fed Connolly. Connolly tried to give him the ball back but it was
blocked back to him. All of a sudden Karlo found the ball back at
his feet and he had all the time he needed to pass a low right
footer into the corner of the net.
The second half started with Rangers
playing with more pace and had a good shout for a penalty ignored by
a ref that seemed to ignore quite a lot. Forbes rampaged down the
right and whipped in a cross that Furlong rose to attack. As he was
airborne he took a shove in the back and somehow the ref managed to
miss it completely. Shocking decision!
Richard Langley, by now running the
game in midfield, nearly scored with another long-range effort that
was tipped wide by Brown. Langley was having a terrific game and was
working harder than I have ever seen him. Twice in the first half he
was back in his box making challenges and Holloway's efforts to make
him a more complete player seem to be paying off.
The Colchester goal was leading
something of a charmed life whilst at the other end Royce was
struggling to keep himself entertained. His only real saves were a
tip round after Carlisle had sliced the ball goalward and a neat
interception of tricky through ball.
Kevin Gallen nearly made it two with
an excellent run and shot that saw the ball cannon back off the
right hand post and straight into the keeper's hands. Another day it
bangs him on the head and goes in. Soon after the woodwork came to
Colchester's rescue again as Mark Warren sliced a Karl Connolly
cross of the angle of post and bar.
It was all Rangers now and countless
times crosses and passes into the box were deflected wide for
corners. From one Langley corner Dan Shittu should have scored his
third of the season. The ball flew in and Shittu was unmarked and
flung himself at the ball. He made minimal contact and ended up in
the back of the net himself. He should have done better and he knows
it. However, it is now clear to see that set pieces are a major
threat, which is not something we have been able to say too much in
recent times.
The second killer goal when it came
was as easy as it gets. Paul Furlong turned the ball into the path
of Connolly and he started one of his slow motion dribbles towards
the box. He drew two defenders to him, Furlong drew a third and
before you knew it Gallen was free at the far post. Connolly found
him easily and Gallen set himself before smashing home in front of
The Loft.
Kev almost added a third in the
closing stages. Again he was given far too much time and space and
cracked in a shot that Brown did well to turn over the bar. And that
was just about it, another easy victory and three more points to the
total to stay ahead of the target of two points per game.
There were several good performances
today. Langley as I have said was class; Steve Palmer was strong at
the back and later in midfield following a change in formation.
Connolly seems to be playing at his mercurial best and he and Gallen
really seem to have developed an excellent understanding.
It seems a bit strange that you can
win five games on the trot in the first couple of months of the
season and not be top but we have now got ourselves in a fantastic
position. October will be tough with trips to Crewe and Wigan and
the visit of Chophead and his Oldham outfit. On this form I don't
think we need to worry about any team but at some point I can see us
losing a couple, lets just hope its not against any of those.
simon@qprnet.com |
