| CLINICAL THORPE CULLS CHEATING
GULLS
Rangers continued the march to Cardiff this
afternoon with a narrow 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. The
game could have been far easier for Rangers after a dominant first
half but in the end they found themselves grateful not to ship a
late equaliser.
Holloway kept faith with as much of
the side that did for Sheffield Wednesday as was available. Day had
a knock so was replaced by Culkin and Padula was suspended so
Edghill returned to the starting XI at left back. Forbes, Carlisle
and Shittu all retained their places. It was as you were in midfield
for Ainsworth, Palmer, Bean and Rowlands and likewise in attack with
Gallen and Thorpe.
Brighton started quickly and one time
loan target Mark Yeates fired in an excellent near post corner that
forced Rowlands into a scrambled clearance. Rowlands himself tried
to reply a minute later but only succeeded in hammering a shot over
the School End into the building site! Brighton went close again
when Harding shot across goal but it was Rangers that took the lead
just shy of the twenty-minute mark.
Martin Rowlands swung in a corner from
the left side and Brighton's marking went to cock. Steve Palmer
found himself unmarked at the far post and his header seemed to be
covered by Ben Roberts and he should have tipped it over the bar. He
managed to tip it onto the bar and then seemingly back into his own
hand and over the line. Shittu stole in to bulge the net but the
goal had already been awarded and the skipper wheeled away having
made it two in two and three for the season.
The second came only five minutes
later and was a touch of pure class from Tony Thorpe. Ainsworth
managed to set the striker free and he split the centre backs to
bear down on Roberts' goal. As the former 'Boro keeper advanced he
floated a delightful chip over his head for his seventh of the
season for Rangers.
Brighton had a chance to get one back
when former Spurs man Guy Butters headed straight at Culkin.
Similarly Rangers could have extended their lead further when
Carlisle got on the end of a move he had started to plant a diving
header at Roberts.
Having weathered the early storm
Rangers were now putting a ragged Brighton side to the sword so they
tried the only thing they had left in their locker to try and get
back into it. Cheating!
Unsurprisingly it was Leon Knight,
South Coast diving champion in the 3' 6" and under category, who led
the way. First we saw a theatrical tumble under challenge from
Carlisle that probably should have earned a booking, as it certainly
wasn't convincing enough to earn a penalty. He tried the same trick
on the same player soon after, this time outside the box. The big
centre half merely trampled him under foot as he hit the deck like
an extra in Clint Eastwood's classic Magnum Force! The scene was
made all the more hilarious as the 65 year old, 18 stone physio took
about 15 minutes to get to the scene of the crime. No doubt he was
delighted with the cheating little sod.
The second half started with yet more
theatrics from Knight again under challenge from Carlisle. Yet
another penalty appeal went begging as Knight began to show the
flashes of temper that no doubt knocked his Chelsea career on the
head. The lad has an abundance of talent but all he wants to do is
con people and looking at it I am glad he decided to join Brighton
as I think I would be embarrassed if those actions took place in the
blue and white hoops.
Young Brighton full back Adam El-Abd
put in a fantastic headed clearance from a Gallen cross before
Knight was back in the action and trying to get an opposition player
sent off. Culkin gathered a cross and Knight hurled himself to the
floor without the slightest hint of a touch in a manoeuvre that came
straight out of the Kerry Mayo Amateur Dramatics Manual. This time
though the ref had seen enough and after consulting the linesman
chose to book Knight for diving and not before time. He was lucky
that he hadn't been booked for any of the three blatant dives that
preceded it or he would have been first man in the baby-sized bath.
Brighton were dominating proceedings
now though and Yeates was at the heart of most of their good work.
Ably assisted by subs Jones and Hart, a player almost as unsteady on
his feet as Knight, he was causing confusion between Shittu and
Carlisle with his passing and movement. Culkin denied him twice in
quick succession before The Seagulls grabbed a decidedly streaky
goal to blow the tie wide open.
Carlisle and half time sub Chris
McPhee went in for a challenge and the Brighton mans shot looped off
of Carlisle's foot to completely fool Culkin and halve the arrears.
Brighton really started to push forward and Rangers could have hit
them on the break. Bean and Forbes carved out a chance whilst
running the ball into the corner but Bean's cross was knocked away
for a corner. Four minutes of injury time, or cheating time, as you
may want to call it, elapsed without incident and Rangers marched
into the area semi finals and with one eye firmly fixed on the
Millennium Stadium.
simon@qprnet.com |
