U14 Match Reports

22^nd Apr: Deeping Rangers 0 – 4 Eye United

Coming off the back of four wins such a long wait for their final game of the season was bound to effect the team’s rhythm but yet again Rangers put in a tremendous performance against one of the big guns in this division. And again, this match report will follow a similar theme to so many this season!

Eye travelled to Outgang Road as the current league leaders but in the opening exchanges you may have been mistaken for thinking Deeping were top. An excellent start saw the home side carve out some excellent chances. Following good link up play, Dan Lovesey burst through from his new full back position and although his shot from the right edge of the area beat the keeper the ball dropped agonisingly wide. Moments later Ben Leisner was through on goal only to blaze over when a more subtle strike would have probably produced the goal his run deserved. The Rangers midfield were working hard against their excellent Eye counterparts and following more good work Leisner was again put through only to see his shot again miss the target.

At the other end the Deeping defense of Lovesey, Thurston, Harris and Goodliffe were doing a great job containing Eye’s many dangermen, especially Joey Yeboah who was having to resort to shots from distance which failed to trouble Dan Smith. However, in a mirror image of so many games this season, having let the opposition off the hook in the early stages, Deeping were made to pay the price in the closing five minutes of the half and it was Yeboah who proved what value a team gets from having a big target man. In the blink of an eye (no pun intended, or maybe it was) Yeboah had run onto two long balls to outmuscle the Rangers backline and produce two calm finishes.

So yet again during the interval Deeping were left to ponder how they had ended the half trailing.

Deeping had to chase the game in the second half so it wasn’t surprising that Eye were able to create the majority of chances and while Yeboah was again being well shackled it was the visitors other dangerman Duffy who capitalised. He made it 3 shortly after the restart and completed the scoring late on. Deeping’s chances became few and far between despite continuing to battle superbly and having moved up front Dan Lovesey again came close when he latched onto a through ball only to fire over.

Another frustrating game but how many times have we said that this season. Eye are a tough nut to crack given their size and ability but Rangers continue to show that they are not a million miles away from being a very good side themselves.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Dan Lovesey, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Tom Goodliffe, Matt Wright, Ben Leisner, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Dan Woods, Troy Waters, Jak Hart, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Jamie Mallett, Alan Fountain.

30^th Mar: Deeping Rangers 1 – 0 Holbeach United

Rangers ground out a fourth straight win thanks to Dan Woods’ 18^th goal of the season. Against a hard working and resolute Holbeach side Deeping started the better and carved out several clear cut chances in the opening 15 minutes with Tim Neal and Woods unlucky not to score a couple each. As the visitors came more into the game the Deeping defense showed why they’ve become such a tough nut to crack in recent weeks and apart from one smart stop in the first half, Dan Smith was rarely troubled in the Rangers goal.

Frustratingly the half ended even but Deeping regained the initiative at the start of the second half and finally made the breakthrough their overall play deserved. A chip into the box caused confusion in the Holbeach defense and after good work by Ben Leisner the ball broke to Dan Woods who finished smartly from 10 yards. Rangers continued to squander further chances and with Holbeach maintaining their work rate there was always a chance of an equaliser but Deeping held on for a deserved victory.

Manager Chris Lovesey was delighted with the effort showed by his team on a day when his options were limited, “We had a few lads unavailable today and Ben Leisner was struggling with a shoulder injury so could only start on the bench. However, the whole team worked extremely hard for the result against a strong Holbeach side who themselves were short of players but they made life very difficult for us. After an indifferent start to the season we’ve had a great run since Christmas which is testament to the hard work the lads have put in on the training ground.”

Deeping: Dan Smith, Dan Lovesey, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Tom Goodliffe, Matt Wright, Ben Leisner, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Dan Woods, Troy Waters, Jak Hart, Sam Linford.

9^th Mar: Deeping Rangers 2 - 1 Hampton

Rangers were made to work hard for the win by a useful Hampton side who despite being without the services of some key players will have left Outgang Road disappointed that they didn’t at least get a point.

Deeping made a sluggish start and it was no surprise when Lepla put the visitors ahead after 5 minutes when he raced through unchallenged to finish smartly. This seemed to wake Rangers up and they worked 2 or 3 clear cut openings in quick succession without being able to apply the finish. The equaliser came after 20 minutes when a corner caused mayhem in the Hampton defense and the scrambled clearance fell to the impressive Will Harris 10 yards out who fired low into the corner.

For large periods of the second half Hampton were in the ascendancy as Deeping found it difficult to get the ball down and play but Dan Smith in the home goal put in another assured performance. Just as it looked like a draw was on the cards Deeping caught Hampton napping at a corner. Quick thinking Troy Waters played a short pass to Ben Leisner who ran unchallenged into the box before drilling the ball under the keeper.

Deeping will be happy to have kept their good run going despite not being at their best.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Dan Lovesey, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Tom Goodliffe, Matt Wright, Ben Leisner, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Dan Woods, Troy Waters, Jamie Mallett, Alan Fountain, Jak Hart, Dan Bandaranaike.

2^nd Mar: Parkside 1 - 6 Deeping Rangers

Deeping battled to a well deserved 3 points on a day not conducive to good football. Despite the blustery conditions both teams played some good football and the Rangers defense had to be on their game to combat the pace of the Parkside strikers.

Playing with the wind and slope in their favour in the first half the visitors opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Dan Smith launched one of his trademark kicks downfield. Dan Woods, reacting quicker than the Parkside defense, used his strength and pace to nip in and finish coolly. A few minutes later it was two. An excellent move down the left resulted in Jacob Peters showing great vision to play the ball across the 6-yard box to the on rushing Troy Waters who had the simplest of tap-ins. Not surprisingly Deeping were using the conditions to their advantage but Parkside always looked capable of causing problems when they went forward and they reduced the deficit after 20 minutes. However, Rangers continued to push for the remainder of the half and within minutes of coming on Tim Neal fired in superbly from the edge of the box to restore the two goal advantage.

With conditions no easier in the second half Parkside must have still fancied their chances but the Deeping defense stood firm. If anything, playing against the wind allowed Rangers to get the ball down and play better football. This was typified by Troy Waters and Matt Wright in the centre of midfield and Tim Neal and Dan Woods who were combining superbly down the left side. Having weathered the storm of a few Parkside attacks Deeping took control for the remaining 20 minutes. Waters made it 4-1 with a classy penalty before Woods again outpaced the defense to bag his second. Another fine team move resulted in Dan Bandaranaike scoring from an acute angle to make it 6.

Deeping now have a run of 3 home games to finish the season so will be looking to continue their recent good form and cement their place in the top 5.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Dan Lovesey, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Tom Goodliffe, Matt Wright, Ben Leisner, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Dan Woods, Sam Linford, Troy Waters, Jamie Mallett, Alan Fountain, Jak Hart, Dan Bandaranaike.

24^th Feb: Deeping Rangers 6 - 0 Sawtry Colts

Having played so well against the top 3 over recent weeks this was almost a case of after the Lord Mayor’s show as Rangers struggled to break down a spirited Sawtry side. Despite not firing on all cylinders the result could have been more emphatic had a combination of the woodwork and plucky defending not got in the way.

The tone was set early on as a wave of Deeping attacks were thwarted. Ben Leisner was the first to hit the woodwork as his thunderous 25 yard effort crashed off the joint of post and bar. Dan Lovesey then met a cross with a deft flick which hit the post and after a mazy dribble into the box Lovesey was once again frustrated as his shot hit the bar and the Sawtry defense twice blocked the ensuing rebounds.

After 20 minutes Rangers finally broke the deadlock when Dan Woods outpaced several defenders to coolly slot home. If the home side thought the floodgates would then open they were wrong and despite the remainder of the first half continuing to be one-way traffic they couldn’t extend their lead.

Ten minutes into the second half Deeping finally started to ram home their advantage. Woods added a second in similar style to his first and it quickly became three when Leisner was able to exploit the space in behind the Sawtry defense. Dan Lovesey finally got his reward with a well taken goal but there was still time for him to hit the post again. Woods completed his hat-trick and Lovesey finished off the scoring.

Keeper Dan Smith didn’t have a save to make all day but the home defense kept him on his toes with a few back passes!

17^th Feb: Bourne Town 3 - 1 Deeping Rangers

Rangers ended a tough run of games against the top 3 with another battling performance. In a scrappy game the two teams cancelled each other out for long periods but when the breaks came they fell Bourne’s way.

Possession was shared for the first 20 minutes but the home side took the lead in fortuitous circumstances. A cross from the by-line flashed across goal and in his attempts to track the on rushing striker the ball deflected off Tom Goodliffe into his own net. Five minutes later hesitant defending enabled former Rangers striker Tom Dunn to nip in and score from close range.

Deeping had chances of their own but didn’t really test the Bourne keeper.

The visitors were more than a match for unbeaten Bourne in the second half but as they pushed to get back in the game Bourne capitalised on the extra space when they attacked. Alex Arch met a cross at the back post to tap home to make it 3.

Still Rangers battled away and with 15 minutes left Ben Leisner bundled home to reduce the deficit. Despite pushing more players forward in the final few minutes Deeping couldn’t quite get back into the game.

10^th Feb: Deeping Rangers 1 - 1 ICA Juventus

This was further evidence of Deeping’s continuing improvement as they held table-topping ICA to a draw. In an energy packed game of few clear cut chances Rangers played with great belief and were well worth the point.

The early stages were a battle for midfield supremacy with the Deeping quartet of Matt Wright, Ben Leisner, Troy Waters and Jacob Peters doing an excellent job stopping ICA from getting a foothold in the game. After 20 minutes of cancelling each other out Rangers opened the scoring following an excellent move. Dan Woods collected a pass out on the left wing and with great vision he spotted Ben Leisner’s surging run from midfield. Woods’ superb cross field pass was taken in his stride by Leisner some 30-yards out and with plenty left to do he used his strength to hold off a couple of challenges before firing in from the edge of the box.

However, ICA quickly showed why they are one of the title favourites by hitting back 3 minutes later when hesitant defending allowed Dion Dicataldo to expertly find the roof of the net.

In the second half Deeping had to dig deep as ICA pushed for a winner but you could sense the determination in the boys not to let this game slip away. The home defense were outstanding with Dan Lovesey, Tom Thurston, Will Harris and Tom Goodliffe throwing themselves in the way of everything that came their way and keeper Dan Smith enhanced his growing reputation with a faultless and brave performance.

In the final 10 minutes Rangers somehow found the energy to create some good chances of their own. Dan Woods and Tim Neal had worked tirelessly up front all afternoon and either could have snatched a dramatic winner and in the dying seconds Jacob Peters fired a 20-yard free kick just wide.

Manager Chris Lovesey was delighted that his team had finally got their reward after many close encounters with the top four this season. “To be honest a result like this has been on the cards. Following on from a narrow defeat at Eye last week and other games where we’ve pushed the top teams to the limit it was just a case of the boys believing in themselves and battling to the end and they certainly did that today.”

Deeping: Dan Smith, Dan Lovesey, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Tom Goodliffe, Matt Wright, Ben Leisner, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Dan Woods, Sam Linford, Troy Waters, Jamie Mallett, Alan Fountain.

3^rd Feb: Eye United 3 - 2 Deeping Rangers

Rangers were once again left scratching their heads after another battling performance against one of the top four went unrewarded. In blustery conditions and on a heavy pitch this was never going to be a game for the purists but both teams acquitted themselves well in a game of few chances.

It was a familiar tale in the opening stages. Deeping could easily have been two up within the first five minutes as Dan Woods and Ben Leisner found themselves through on goal but were unable to apply the finish. The game then settled into a midfield battle until on 20 minutes Eye opened the scoring with their first real chance when the ball broke kindly for Yeboah who finished smartly. Rangers continued to match their opponents but were unable to carve out any clear-cut chances and shortly before half time they were dealt another hammer blow when Eye scored a second. To compound matters Troy Waters who had been outstanding in the heart of midfield had to leave the field with a foot injury.

2 down at half time was a little harsh on the visitors but that quickly became 3 shortly after the restart when a well delivered corner was headed home. Any thoughts of a comeback looked remote when Rangers had to shuffle their pack again after both Jak Hart and Sam Linford suffered knee injuries. However, this seemed to galvanise Chris Lovesey’s side and with any thoughts of defending out of the window they spent the final 15 minutes encamped in Eye’s third. Tim Neal made an immediate impact after coming on when he prodded home and moments later Tom Thurston swivelled on the edge of the box to fire into the top corner. When Eye were reduced to 10 men it looked like Deeping might sneak an unlikely equaliser as they continued to press but Eye managed to hold on for a hard fought win.

Chris Lovesey was justifiably proud of his teams efforts, “The lads have once again shown their battling qualities against one of the stronger teams in the league and it’s very frustrating to again come away with nothing for their hard work. Playing teams like Eye can be a bit of a culture shock to those players that have stepped up from the lower divisions but match by match the improvements are there to see and rather than just competing with the best I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we start taking points off the big boys.”

Deeping: Dan Smith, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Tom Goodliffe, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Dan Woods, Sam Linford, Jak Hart, Troy Waters.

27^th Jan: Deeping Rangers 5 – 0 Parkside Juniors

Four goals in the opening 20 minutes effectively settled this match as Rangers capitalised on some hesitant Parkside defending. Dan Woods enjoyed a productive afternoon and it was clear from the first minute that the visitors were going to struggle to combat his pace. Woods opened the scoring with the first attack of the game when he outpaced the Parkside defense to finish calmly. After 5 minutes the home side went further ahead when Jacob Peters fired in direct from a corner.

With Troy Waters linking play superbly from midfield it was only a matter of time before Rangers added to their lead and Woods completed a 20 minute hat-trick with two further solo efforts.

Going forward Parkside played some good football but the ever immaculate centre half pairing of Tom Thurston and Will Harris didn’t put a foot wrong all afternoon and Dan Smith in the Rangers goal was only called upon to make one real save when he dived full stretch to tip away a rasping drive from the edge of the box.

4-0 at half time and with the game won the second half was a bit of an anti-climax as Deeping took their foot off the pedal. Dan Lovesey completed the scoring when he latched onto a loose ball to finish well from 10 yards.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Tom Goodliffe, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Dan Woods, Sam Linford, Jak Hart, Troy Waters, Matt Wright, Dan Bandaranaike.

6^th Jan: Blackstones 5 - 3 Deeping Rangers

These two sides met for the fourth time this season and for the majority of the game it followed the same pattern as the previous encounters with both teams cancelling each other out.

Rangers had the better of the early exchanges but failed to capitalise and as has happened so often this season they went behind to the oppositions first attack in familiar circumstances. After 15 minutes Blackstones won a free kick in a central area 25 yards out. Dan Smith got down well to his right to save the shot but was only able to parry the ball and it was the Blackstones forward who reacted first to tap home. The remainder of the half ebbed and flowed with Deeping still having the majority of possession. The Blackstones keeper was called upon to make a couple of fine saves while at the other end Dan Lovesey cleared off the line.

Deeping needed to start the second half as they had the first but frustratingly they went 2 down within the first couple of minutes when Blackstones scored direct from a corner. Once again Deeping sensed that their hard work was going to count for nothing and the momentum swung in Blackstones favour as Rangers work rate dropped. The home side were gifted another couple of goals before Ben Leisner decided to get a grip of things. Dan Woods found space on the right wing to outpace the Blackstones defense and his fine cross was met by Leisner 6 yards out to stab home. Any thoughts of a memorable comeback were short lived as Rangers conceded another sloppy goal but the visitors were at least starting to fight more and they got the rewards their overall performance deserved when Leisner scored twice late on to complete his hat trick.

Once again manager Chris Lovesey was left scratching his head at the end of yet another game where Rangers had played some great stuff but saw the game slip away in 15 second half minutes. “There were some fine individual performances today and the boys proved once again that they can compete with the best sides in the league. The manner in which the game was lost in the second half was disappointing but there were definitely more positives than negatives.”

16^th Dec: Netherton Kestrels 1 - 5 Deeping Rangers

Rangers ended the year with an excellent performance at Netherton to record their second consecutive league win. On a tight pitch and playing up the slope in the first half it took Deeping 10 minutes to shake off their early morning lethargy and the home side could easily have taken the lead. However, it wasn’t long before the visitors started to impose themselves and show their recent good form.

A couple of good chances went begging before Jacob Peters ran onto an inch perfect pass from Ben Leisner to coolly slot the ball past the advancing keeper. Peters was to be a thorn in Nethertons side all morning and it wasn’t long before he added a second with a trademark 25 yard free kick which flew into the top corner. Rangers were making light work of the slope and could easily have extended their lead with Dan Woods and Dan Lovesey firing inches wide. However, Netherton got a lifeline when the ever dangerous Watson ran through unchallenged to reduce the deficit. This only served to wake Deeping up and they comfortably saw out the remainder of the half without any further scares, Will Harris and Tom Thurston marshalling things superbly at the back.

The second half was one way traffic with Rangers playing some great stuff. Dan Woods made the most of some excellent service from midfield by firing two goals of great quality to enhance his growing reputation in the top division and Jacob Peters deservedly bagged his hat trick with a tremendous cross shot into the far corner.

Manager Chris Lovesey was delighted that his side are finally reaping the rewards that their efforts have deserved throughout the season, “Despite some frustrations in terms of results the lads have stuck to their task, worked hard at training and are now seeing the benefits. A number of new players have been integrated into the squad and it takes time to gel but things are coming together nicely.”

Deeping: Dan Smith, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Tom Goodliffe, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Dan Woods, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Troy Waters, Matt Wright.

2^nd Dec: Deeping Rangers 0 – 1 Blackstones

Another frustrating result as failure to make the most of their chances cost Deeping dear in this league cup encounter. It was the third time the sides had met this season and learning their lessons from previous encounters Rangers made a couple of defensive changes to try and combat the dangers posed by Blackstones wide players. Dan Lovesey and Tom Goodliffe started as the full backs and both had excellent games as the visitors were kept at arms length for large periods. At the other end Dan Woods was causing the visitors defense plenty of problems with his pace and on another day he could easily have had a hat trick.

The only goal of the game came after 20 minutes when the Rangers defense having cleared from a corner failed to attack the second ball and from the ensuing cross the ball fell kindly to Liam Buttery who made no mistake from 8 yards. However, from that point onwards Blackstones were restricted to shots from distance which Dan Smith dealt with comfortably. All the clear cut chances were being carved out by the home side but they just couldn’t find the finish that their performance deserved.

Manager Chris Lovesey was full of praise for the effort the whole Rangers team had put in, “The lads know they could easily have won that game and that should give them the confidence to push on in the league. We’d set ourselves up to counter the threat of Blackstones front men and that part of the plan worked well, but it’s goals that win matches and unfortunately we missed at least 5 gilt edged chances.”

25^th Nov: Sawtry Colts 2 - 9 Deeping Rangers

Rangers recorded their first league win with a dominant display at Sawtry. Failing to put away early chances has proved to be Deeping’s undoing this season but there were no such problems this time as the boys played with great confidence and authority throughout.

Jacob Peters got the ball rolling after 3 minutes when his chip, or was it a cross, from the left edge of the box went in off the post. Moments later it was two as midfield general Ben Leisner found the bottom corner with a tremendous 20 yard thunderbolt. Barely 10 minutes were on the clock when Dan Lovesey’s surge into the box was abruptly halted by Sawtry’s defender but Leisner’s well struck penalty hit the post. (On normal sized goals it would have gone 3 yards inside the post) Leisner didn’t have to wait long to make amends when another 20 yarder fizzed under the goalies dive.

Three goals within 10 minutes and Rangers were playing some great stuff, typified by the fourth goal. Peters picked the ball up wide left and had the vision to see Sam Linford ‘sprinting’ down the right wing. An inch perfect 30 yard pass found Linford who brought the ball down superbly and then had the presence of mind to hold off the advancing defender and keeper to coolly slot home.

The fifth was equally good. The Rangers defense broke up a Sawtry attack and picking the ball up well inside his own half, Leisner played a perfectly weighted 20 yard pass into Dan Lovesey’s path. Lovesey outpaced the home defense to finish in style. Dan Woods’ pace had caused Sawtry problems all day and before the interval there was time for him to get a well deserved goal.

Safe in the knowledge that the game was won Deeping took their foot off the pedal at the start of the second half and were punished when Sawtry scored a well taken goal. This served to kick start the boys again and further goals followed from Peters, Troy Waters and Lovesey. Sawtry managed another consolation goal late on.

18^th Nov: Deeping Rangers 3 - 7 Bourne Town

Finishing was the key to this exciting local derby as Bourne maintained their 100% record with a clinical attacking display. With Rangers still searching for their first league win it was easy to see why these teams have experienced contrasting fortunes this season as former Deeping front man Tom Dunn returned to haunt his old club by hitting 5 of Bourne’s tally.

It was a familiar tale in the early stages with Deeping matching their opponents, Ben Leisner and Tom Goodliffe working hard in midfield to break up Bourne’s rhythm, but their failure to get the first goal again proved costly as two quick fire strikes from Dunn put the home side on the back foot. Rangers then started to create their own opportunities and after Tim Neal hit the post, Dan Woods kept his cool to reduce the deficit. Just before half time Dunn again caught the Deeping defense napping to slam home his third.

Rangers had caused the Bourne defense enough problems to feel they were still in the game but frustratingly, within minutes of the restart they conceded a fourth. Dan Lovesey worked an opening to fire in smartly from the edge of the box to close the gap once more but try as they might Deeping just couldn’t get a third which would have made for an interesting finish. The influential James Beck extended Bourne’s lead when he finished well after a mazy dribble and he bagged his second shortly after. Ben Leisner was rewarded for his excellent performance when he cracked in a free kick from 30 yards, Dunn completed the scoring in the dying minutes.

11^th Nov: ICA Juventus 6 - 1 Deeping Rangers

A tricky trip to table topping ICA was made even more difficult with the unavailability of keeper Dan Smith due to the hand injury he picked up last week (although supporters were treated to an interesting 15 minute cameo appearance on pitch) and injuries to Alan Fountain and Dan Woods during the game compounded the problems. However, this was yet another game where Rangers held their own for large periods only to let things slip late on.

For much of the first half Deeping were on the back foot as ICA, probably the best footballing team in the league, played their natural passing game but the hard working Rangers defense were putting in some exceptional challenges and particular praise must go to stand-in keeper Tom Goodliffe as he pulled off several tremendous stops. It took the home side 20 minutes to break the deadlock when their striker found time and space in the box to finish smartly. However, Deeping continued to match their opponents for effort and although their own attacking chances were limited they were doing a good job at restricting ICA. Buoyed by this, Deeping started to come more into the game in the final 10 minutes of the half and they were rewarded when Dan Woods’ pace took him past the ICA defense and as he was about to shoot the last man clipped his heels to concede a penalty. Ben Leisner confidently crashed the spot kick into the top corner giving the keeper no chance. The half ended all square.

Deeping started the second half with renewed vigour but changes in formation to cover for injuries were limiting their attacking opportunities. Fountains first half injury was preventing him from returning to the field meaning that Leisner had to drop into defense and it was another hammer blow when the increasingly influential Woods also had to leave the field early in the second period following an accidental clash of heads. It was therefore no surprise when ICA restored their lead and effectively finished the game off with a third shortly after. This knocked the stuffing out of the lads and with nothing left in the tank a confident ICA were able to ram home their advantage with 3 further goals in the last 15 minutes.

ICA fully deserved their win and look good bets for the title but the final score was harsh on Deeping who had battled superbly for long periods. Rangers will certainly be hoping for a fully fit squad for next Sundays local derby against Bourne, another team who have a 100% record this season.

Deeping: Tom Goodliffe, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Matt Wright, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Troy Waters, Dan Woods, Dan Smith.

4^th Nov: Blackstones 3 - 0 Deeping Rangers

A bizarre 5 minutes at the end of the first half cost Deeping dearly in this Lincs Cup tie as they once again endured an afternoon where an excellent performance didn’t get the rewards it deserved.

Learning their lessons from the recent league defeat, Rangers set themselves up to combat the pace of the Blackstones wingers with Dan Woods dropping into the right back position and the plan worked well for the majority of the game. Deeping carved out the first clear cut chance of the game when Dan Lovesey latched onto a through ball to send a powerful shot past the advancing keeper only to see the ball drop agonisingly wide. Rangers were doing the early pressing without unduly troubling the Stones keeper and at the other end Dan Smith was dealing comfortably with anything the home attack had to throw at him.

With both sides cancelling each other out it looked like the half would end goaless but with only a few minutes remaining Blackstones capitalised on a lapse in concentration to open the scoring from close range. If that was harsh worse was to follow, as the clock ticked down into added time Stones launched the ball into the Rangers area and as the defense stood off the striker pounced to make it two. To the amazement of the visiting support the ref was still allowing the half to continue and following more hesitation in the Rangers defense, Thompson found the net with a well placed shot.

As half time finally arrived Rangers couldn’t quite believe they were 3 down and to compound their problems keeper Dan Smith had to be substituted due to a hand injury. With Ben Leisner deputising this reduced Deepings attacking options but credit to the lads, they gave a whole hearted second half performance and although they created very few clear chances themselves, equally Blackstones didn’t trouble the stand-in keeper.

A very entertaining game between two committed sides with Rangers once again showing they can compete with the best.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Matt Wright, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Troy Waters, Dan Woods, Tom Goodliffe.

28^th Oct: Yaxley 0 – 8 Deeping Rangers

Rangers progressed to the second round of the League Cup with a convincing win over their second division opponents and with Dan Woods away on Reps duty it was an unlikely source who supplied the main goal threat in the form of captain and centre half Tom Thurston. Safe in the knowledge that the excellent Will Harris, Jamie Mallett and Alan Fountain could comfortably deal with anything Yaxley had to throw at them, Thurston took it upon himself to drifit upfield and show his attacking prowess and this approach certainly paid dividends as he bagged a hat trick.

He got the ball rolling after 10 minutes when he reacted first to a clearance to lob the keeper from 25 yards. After recent frustrations where Deeping had dominated games only to leak the first goal this seemed to settle the lads down and they started to play with great confidence. Rangers had a succession of near misses before extending their lead. Dan Lovesey latched onto a Sam Linford through ball to fire into the side netting from an acute angle, the same combination nearly produced a tremendous goal when Lovesey’s header from Linford’s cross was goal bound but the keeper pulled off a great save and Ben Leisner pulled a shot wide after a typically strong run from midfield. However, Deeping soon got the rewards their dominance deserved when Jacob Peters followed Thurstons lead to crack home a shot from distance and following a Peters cross Troy Waters was on hand at the back post to slide in and score. Peters was starting to cause Yaxley all sorts of problems and when his thunderous 25 yard free kick crashed off the bar and the follow up also hit the woodwork, Thurston showed his predatory instincts to head home.

4-0 at half time and the contest was effectively over. Rangers continued to press home their advantage in the second half, playing some great football. Another storming run from Leisner set up Peters who added his second with a tremendous left foot cross shot into the top corner. Much to the crowds amusement and surprise, Thurston, who by now was spending more time in the oppositions area than his own, pounced on a loose ball 10 yards out to expertly slide in his third. Dan Bandaranaike lobbed the keeper to make it 7 and Sam Linford capped a fine performance by nodding in the 8^th.

After recent disappointments in the league manager Chris Lovesey was quick to praise his teams performance, “It’s been a frustrating start to the league campaign, we’ve been playing some good stuff without getting the rewards. Before this game I emphasised to the lads that we needed to show more bite in the tackle to provide a platform for our attacking play and the response was magnificent. The commitment shown by the defense and midfield was superb and this enabled us to create numerous chances. Our finishing was also more clinical than it has been, although not many of us expected to see the skipper leading the way!”

Deeping: Dan Smith, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Matt Wright, Tim Neal, Jacob Peters, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Troy Waters.

21^st Oct: Hampton 3 - 2 Deeping Rangers

Despite arriving at Hampton without the services of 5 players and Sam Linford bravely agreeing to play with a couple of fractured fingers Rangers will once again be wondering how they came away with nothing for their efforts. In an even contest Deeping had the majority of possession and attacking opportunities but were unable to carve out sufficient clear cut chances. In a mirror image of most games this season Deeping went behind after dominating the early stages when Hampton played a ball in behind the defense and their striker coolly slotted past Dan Smith. Rangers continued to press for the remainder of the first half without causing Hamptons stubborn defense too many problems and the score remained 1-0 at the interval.

The visitors continued to apply the pressure in the second half but were still unable to put Hamptons keeper under too much pressure and they went further behind to another sucker punch. Temporarily down to 10 men when Dan Lovesey had to leave the field to have a facial injury attended to, Hampton again exploited the space in behing the Deeping defense to enable their pacy striker to nip in and finish smartly.

However, Deeping responded excellently and upped the tempo. Jacob Peters hit the bar with a cracking 25 yard effort. Dan Woods and Dan Lovesey were starting to get more joy down the right flank and following a teasing cross from the right wing Tim Neal ghosted in at the back post to smash the ball home. It was all Deeping by this stage but frustratingly Hampton were once again able to capitalise on a rare attack to restore their 2 goal advantage.

To their credit Rangers didn’t let their heads drop and they continued to press. Lovesey weaved his way to the bye line only to see his cross roll along the goal line with nobody following it in, Dan Woods had a clear run in on goal only to shoot wide but eventually the pressue told. Ben Leisner had pushed into midfield by now and following a powerful run he picked out an excellent pass for Neal to run in and chip the keeper superbly. Unfortunately their wasn’t sufficient time left for what would have been a deserved equaliser.

The 11 lads who turned out put in an excellent performance with several having to play out of position to fill the gaps and they know that they could easily have come away with a win.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Tom Thurston, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Tim Neal, Dan Woods, Jacob Peters, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Troy Waters.

14^th Oct: Deeping Rangers 3 – 6 Blackstones

This was a cracking game which came down to Blackstones ability to finish their chances when they came along. However, Rangers can be more than happy with the way they pushed the defending champions. The pattern for the match was set in the first couple of minutes when a promising Deeping attack was broken up and the visitors countered quickly to release Dec Carr who outpaced the defense before firing in a low cross shot. Deeping levelled shortly after when Dan Lovesey reacted first to a loose ball in the area. Despite possession and chances being shared for the remainder of the first half, the home side were left wondering how they went into the break 3-1 down following further Blackstones goals from Mark Mankiwskyj and Alex McNally.

Based on their first half showing Deeping knew they were still capable of forcing a result and this was confirmed when shortly after the restart Dan Woods latched onto a through ball to finish smartly. Rangers continued to create some excellent chances with the tireless running of Lovesey and Ben Leisner causing problems but Stones keeper Dan Lane and the centre back pairing of Mankiwskyj and Jonny Landin were making some vital blocks to keep the score at 3-2. As Deeping pressed Stones were able to capitalise on the space being created at the back and following swift counter attacks, Carr and Thompson finished clinically to stretch the visitors lead. However, Rangers continued to battle and Leisner’s efforts were rewarded when he showed great persistence to fire in from 10 yards. McNally’s pace once again got him in behind the Deeping defense and he finished coolly to complete the scoring.

Overall a frustrating afternoon for Deeping who combined great battling qualities with some good passing and maybe deserved better than the scoreline suggests. Both teams meet again on 4^th November in the 2^nd round of the Lincs Cup.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Matt Wright, Tim Neal, Dan Woods, Jacob Peters, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Tom Goodliffe, Troy Waters.

7^th Oct: Deeping Rangers 11 – 0 Clee Community ‘C’

Rangers advanced into the 2^nd round of the Lincs Cup with a dominant performance against a spirited and skilful Cleethorpes side. The visitors competed well in the opening stages and after 20 minutes it was only a smart Dan Woods finish that separated the teams. The home defense, excellently marshalled by skipper Tom Thurston, were rarely troubled and once Dan Bandaranaike and a 25-yard Ben Leisner screamer had put Rangers 3 up there was only going to be one winner. This was the cue for Deeping to relax and play some excellent football and in the process they scored some outstanding goals. Dan Woods capped a tremendous performance with 3 further goals of great quality, Dan Lovesey’s hard work was rewarded when he scored a fine solo goal, Tom Goodliffe headed home from a corner and there were further goals from Tim Neal and a brace from Sam Linford who showed what a class finisher he is from 2 yards.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Matt Wright, Tim Neal, Dan Woods, Jacob Peters, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Tom Goodliffe.

23^rd Sept: Deeping Rangers 1 - 3 Netherton Kestrels

This was a close encounter between two evenly matched teams which was in the balance until the dying minutes. Both teams found it hard to create too many clear cut openings in the early stages with Will Harris and Jamie Mallett making some good interceptions for the home side. Dan Woods came agonisingly close to giving Rangers the lead on 20 minutes when his deft lob crashed off the bar but the home side didn’t have to wait much longer to take the lead, Tom Goodliffe winning the ball in midfield before firing in superbly from 25 yards. This proved to be the only goal of the first half. The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with very little between the teams although the visitors were starting to exert some pressure. This pressure paid off when Watson was given too much time and space in the box to equalise with a well placed shot. A tiring Deeping side were now struggling to get a foothold in the game and Netherton took the lead when Batten evaded several challenges to loop a shot over Dan Smith. With time running out and Deeping committing players forward Howden finished smartly to seal the victory.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Troy Waters, Ben Leisner, Matt Wright, Tim Neal, Dan Woods, Jacob Peters, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Tom Goodliffe.

16^th Sept: Holbeach Utd 2 - 2 Deeping Rangers

Rangers had to settle for a point in their first game of the season despite having the lions share of the play. In a goaless first half the visitors played some neat football which saw them carve out several good openings without being able to convert their dominance into goals. Early in the second period and against the run of play Holbeach scored direct from a free kick. Dan Lovesey finished smartly to level things soon after and it looked like this would be the spur Deeping needed as they continued to press for what would have been a deserved 3 points. However, with a rare attack Holbeach restored their advantage and it looked like being one of those days. From a well delivered corner Tom Goodliffe nodded home the equaliser but despite further openings Rangers couldn’t force the winner.

Deeping: Dan Smith, Jamie Mallett, Tom Thurston, Will Harris, Alan Fountain, Dan Lovesey, Ben Leisner, Matt Wright, Tim Neal, Dan Woods, Jacob Peters, Sam Linford, Dan Bandaranaike, Tom Goodliffe.