Baker’s dozen for Swifts
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Banbridge Rangers Swifts 13, Lurgan United Reserves 1. BANBRIDGE Rangers Swifts stormed clear at the top of Reserve Division Four with a goalfest at Cheney Park on Saturday against Lurgan United Reserves.
Rangers' third string are midway through their league campaign with only one defeat and one draw so far and will be looking to pick up as many points in the next few weeks to give themselves a realistic shot at promotion.
After last week's dismal defeat to Tullyvallen, it was back to the drawing board with the welcome return of Wayne Nelson, Ian Wilson and David Rogers, who have featured for the Reserves in recent games.
The game was only two minutes old when a speculative forward ball from Wayne McAllister sailed over the keeper and into the top corner from 40 yards to give Rangers Swifts a perfect start.
On five minutes Lurgan United scored a fortuitous equaliser when a clearance inside the area was blocked by the Lurgan striker with his back to goal and he turned to poke the ball over the line.
On eight minutes, Banbridge Rangers regained their advantage when John McCahon found the run off midfielder Ian Wilson who lobbed the onrushing keeper.
Rangers went 3-1 up on 12 minutes when a corner was cleared by Lurgan United with right back David Rogers reacting quickest from the players waiting at the halfway line and he drilled his shot low through a cluster of players to find the net from 25 yards out and put the home side in the driving seat.
A fourth goal for Rangers arrived on 18 minutes as striker Neil Wilson latched onto a through ball and beat the keeper with his shot with partner John McCahon on hand to tap in before the covering defender could clear his lines.
The match went to 5-1 after 22 minutes with arguably the goal of the game when midfield maestro Ian 'Chinky' Wilson danced majestically past five players with several nutmegs before finishing off with a well placed shot at the keeper's near post for his 10th goal of the season for the Swifts.
The game got a bit subdued with the three points in the bag with Dan Thornton adding a sixth goal for Banbridge Rangers several minutes before the half when a corner bounced off his thigh and trickled past the keeper.
After the interval Neil Wilson got his name on the scoresheet, controlling a cross with his chest just inside the box before shooting past the stranded Lurgan keeper.
On 55 minutes right back David Rogers was in the right place to pick up a loose clearance and spun on the ball 12 yards out and curled his shot into the side netting, to make it eight goals for the Gers.
The ninth goal of the game was scored from an indirect free kick inside the Lurgan penalty area after the away keeper had taken Wilson out midway up the shin and thought he had conceded a penalty only for the referee to award a free kick on the penalty spot when a Lurgan defender scooped the ball into the keeper's hands.
Thornton rolled the ball off the spot and John McCahon picked his spot in the top corner despite having 11 players charging at the dead ball.
Within two minutes McCahon got his hattrick after being played through by Wilson slotting past the keeper to move Rangers onto 10 goals with about 25 minutes remaining.
Rangers brought on fresh legs up front with Bryan Dobbin and Robin Butler both being presented with several shooting opportunities each over the next 10 minutes before Robin Butler added the 11th goal of the game, drilling a low shot through the keeper's legs from just inside the area.
Butler had a hand in the 12th goal when he collected a blocked shot on the byline to the right of the goals and forced the ball back towards the Lurgan United keeper who comically tried to blast the ball out of play for a corner but managed to skew his effort off the inside of the post and into his own net.
With a few minutes to go, Lurgan's best player, their young number eight, beat two men inside the Rangers half and was unfortunate to see a spectacular effort crash off the underside of the bar.
In stoppage time Rangers got their 13th goal of the day with defender Davy Rogers finishing off a superb display, curling a left footed shot past the Lurgan keeper to earn himself an unexpected hat trick.
Banbridge Rangers Swifts will hopefully take their cavalier football to Havelock Park on Saturday when they host Damolly Reserves with kick off at 2.15pm
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