|
ARTHur
AND PARRETT SPARK REVIVAL
Rangers’ under 18’s won their first league match since
September on Saturday morning with a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth
at Harlington.
Joe Gallen made two changes to his starting line up after the
2-2 against Leyton Orient last week. Liam O’Brien continued in
goal behind an unchanged back four of Billy Coyne, Aaron Goode,
Josh Ford and Andrew Howell.
Matt O’Connell played wide right with Harry Smart returning
to central midfield alongside Matt O’Brien whilst Lee Brown
stayed in his more advanced left wing role. Upfront Ricky
Sappleton returned from suspension at the expense of James
Foulkes, he partnered Romone Rose, who scored both of the goals
in last weeks draw.
Rangers started the brighter and dominated the first half in
terms of possession and chances but either lacked that killer
ball or were found wanting in front of goal. Portsmouth, so
strong at this level in the past, looked a shadow of the side
that we had enjoyed many a physical tussle with over the last
few years so it was something of a surprise when they took the
lead just before half time.
Shortly after the break Gallen made a double change that
would win the game. Chris Arthur came on for Ford. Arthur
slotted in on the left whilst Brown moved back to a more
familiar defensive position. Meanwhile fourteen year old prodigy
Dean Parrett replaced Harry Smart in central midfield.
The two substitutes gave Rangers the cutting edge we had
lacked in the first half, Parrett was a menace in the centre,
taking on players at will and spraying well placed balls around
the park whilst Arthur on the left began to take his full back
to pieces.
The equaliser was inevitable and eventually came from a
Rangers corner, centreback Goode rose to meet the ball with his
head, the keeper saved but Goode reacted quickly to poke home
from close range for his second of the season.
The winner was a wonderful play involving both the subs and
finished by top scorer Sappleton. From a central position on the
halfway line Parrett smashed a stupendous ball right into
Arthur’s path, the strong wide man made mincemeat of the right
back once again and his cross was slid home by The Hitman to win
the game.
The victory leaves Rangers in fourth place in a very tight
looking South East Conference table, just four points separate
the top five from Wycombe at the top to Brentford below us in
fifth.
There’s a two break in league action now as we play the last
two group games of our Youth Association Cup campaign. Yeovil
are the visitors to Harlington next week and the following
Saturday we travel to Plymouth for the final game of the league
stage. The games are academic as we can’t qualify from the group
but will still provide the lads with two testing fixtures.
QPR:
O’Brien, Coyne (Yelland), Goode, Ford (Arthur), Howell,
O’Connell, Smart (Parrett), O’Brien, Brown, Rose, Sappleton.
Subs not used: Goodchild, Folkes. |
