| RANGERS LEVEL FROM THE SPOT AS
REF GOES TO POT
A point away from
home against one of the relegated sides is nothing to be
disappointed with. However, considering the amount of chances we had
and the fact that portly ref Frazer Stretton lost control of the
game and blew up before 90 minutes had been played does stick in the
throat.
Holloway started with the side that
had done for Chesterfield on Saturday. Langley and Williams came in
for Daly and Murphy and Rangers switched to 4-4-2. It would appear
that Holloway will only go with 3-4-1-2 when Carlisle is fit to play
in the back three to allow Forbes to move onto the right side.
Both sides started brightly and the
influence Carlton Palmer has exerted on this side is clear to see.
Instead of that now famous cry of "Carlton, hit Les", it was
"Carlton, hit Ben". Everything that Stockport did went toward the
head of former Brentford loanee Ben Burgess and in the early stages
it was working, as Stockport looked more likely to create something.
Steve Palmer was losing out every time to Burgess and only when
Shittu started marking him did we manage to contain him.
At the other end, the chances were now
coming and Gallen in particular should have had two before half
time. Initially he latched onto a fine ball from Williams and fired
straight at the keeper at the near post. Karl Connolly slammed the
rebound into the crowd. Minutes later he dragged a weak left footed
effort well wide. Langley should also have done better when Williams
picked him out with a sixty-yard cross-field ball. His first touch
was good but he dwelled on it to allow Stockport to clear.
For Stockport, Luke Beckett went close
to opening the scoring but could not connect with a low cross
flashed across goal. The chances were still coming at the other end
as Rose fired a shot just past the post and Williams hit a right
footed shot that ended up twenty yards wide! Rose also managed
another effort from a tight angle that went out for a throw. Half
time couldn't come too soon for County as wave after wave of Rangers
attacks poured forward.
As the second half started the pattern
of play was set out for the majority of the half. Rangers were now
forcing a succession of chances but the number of them on target
will worry Holloway. In one period Rangers forced five corners on
the spin and the only real chances to come from them were a Gallen
header over the bar and a stinging Bircham drive that keeper Jones
did well to save.
By this point Marc Bircham was the
driving force behind the team and everything that was good was
coming from him. At one point on the first half he had managed to
play a thirty yard ball to feet with no right boot, indeed he played
for nearly five minutes with one boot as he couldn't get back near
it! During one stoppage for the Stockport assistant manager to get
his marching orders, he was singing along with the Rangers fans. The
guy is a legend in the making.
After twenty minutes of dominance, it
was sods law that Stockport would be allowed to take the lead. The
so far redundant Culkin punched out a right wing corner as one of
the Stockport players attempted to turn it back in to the box it
cannoned off the underside of the bar. With Culkin now out of the
picture Beckett had the simplest chance to nod in from six yards.
A few shaky minutes now followed as
Stockport, buoyed by the goal went looking for number two. Palmer
had to make an excellent last-ditch challenge to deny Beckett a
second whilst another effort smashed back off Culkin's left hand
post.
After shaking themselves out of their
temporary slumber, Rangers went in search of the equaliser. Terrell
Forbes was running with power and purpose and forced Jones into a
terrific save with a close range effort whilst the Stockport defence
were now defending for their lives with last ditch blocks all over
the place.
The equaliser when it came was from
the spot. Paul Furlong leapt for a ball and seemed to be bundled to
the floor; the ref didn't hesitate in giving the pen. Their seemed
some confusion over who would take it. Bircham initially grabbed the
ball only for Connolly to get hold of it and place it for the kick.
His left-footed penalty flew in off the upright; no keeper in the
world saves one like that.
Connolly was replaced by Doudou
following a heavy challenge minutes later and the little fella was
to spark a twenty man scuffle soon after. As the County right back
cleared Doudou made one of his trademark lunges and cleaned the guy
out. As five of their players went to remonstrate with him, Rangers
players were coming from all over the park. Shittu ran eighty yards
to help his mate and earned a booking for his trouble. Doudou was
also booked for his challenge.
It was at this point that referee
Stretton lost control completely. The Shittu booking was on the
advice of both linesmen as he had failed to see the incident
himself. In the closing minutes, he managed to book Bircham and
Langley for nothing and Gallen can consider himself lucky not to
have walked. He had been booked for dissent in the first half and a
frank and open discussion with Dave Challinor could have turned out
worse.
Rangers were still on the attack and
hoped that the three remaining minutes plus what should have been
five minutes injury time would yield the winner. The Rangers players
and fans alike were stunned when the final whistle went. The players
went mental and surrounded the fat fella in yellow but as referees
do these days, he just shrugged them off.
Despite the missed chances, this was
still a good point and one I would have accepted before the game.
Forbes was outstanding, but he had to be given a subdued performance
from Langley in front of him. He appeared to tire badly as the game
went on. Gallen was also excellent in leading the line but the real
star of the show was Bircham. It is fantastic to see how much
playing for Rangers means to him, it's a shame their weren't a few
more like him around a couple of years ago.
Barnsley away next and I would settle
for another point. If we can take some of the chances we are
creating, a win is not out of the question. We seem solid in defence
and creative in wide areas so the players should go into the game
with a positive frame of mind. As if Olly would let them have
anything else!
simon@qprnet.com |
