Reserve Team Season 2011/12

Garforth Rangers Reserves - 03/09/11

     08/10/11 WYAFL All Div2     -   Rothwell Athletic FC Reserves : 4 Garforth Rangers AFC Reserves : 1

15/10/11 WYAFL All Div2     -  Stanley United FC Reserves : 4 Garforth Rangers AFC Reserves : 1

It isn't just the scorelines that were similar in these matches. The similararities extended to a lack of application across the board.

Results are not a major concern but the performance in the last few matches is a concern and that has to change. Rangers need to rediscover their battling qualities and consolidate instead of chasing victories that at the moment seem beyond them. All to often loss of concentration has led to conceding poor goals and a collapse follows, this pattern has to be addressed before the side can move on.

Garforth Rangers AFC Reserves : 0 Ossett Common Rovers FC Reserves : 0

24/09/2011 WYAFL Alliance Div 2

Fielding a very young side even by Rangers standards, the home side came off the field, after this game, feeling that they had lost 2 points and not that they had gained their first league point under new management.

Despite not creating as many chances as in recent matches Garforth managed to dominate possession and pass the ball around their frustrated opponents without doing them any serious damage.

Danny Wiltshire continued his development at centre back alongside Captain Macca and with Fraser Escritt sweeping the defence looked organised for the most part.

In mid-field Rangers were strong during the first half but tended to lose out at times in the second as Rob Field tired. Jake Thompson, despite not having much game time lately, gave his usual high energy performance as a Yorkshire Terrier on speed, and compensated for others lack of fitness.

The only real negative was a lack of creativity from mid-field which meant front players were starved of quality possession hence the scoreline.

Garforth Rangers AFC Reserves : 2 Howden Clough FC Reserves : 3

17/09/11 WYAFL Alliance Div 2

To say early mistakes were nade by the home side is a bit of an understatement. The referee confirmed the visitor's opening goal was timed at 32 seconds. Lack of communication was the main reason for the first goal and a second gifted goal following a basic error gave the home side an uphill battle.

Trailing 2-0 at half-time, but having enjoyed enough possession and chances to be more than on terms, the side was encouraged by, stand in manager, Greame Bell to keep playing the same way. Some players were obviously not listening as they immediately allowed Howden a goal threatening attack before settling back into their game.

A stream of Rangers attacks and a number of good chances later saw Matty Eaglen get a goal back and it was now all Garforth pressure. Such was the mounting pressure that a visiting defender forced the ball over his own goal line to level the scores and place his side firmly on the back foot.

It was all Rangers now with the visitors hanging on for dear life and employing every time-wasting ploy in the book. Having battled to overcome early mistakes and getting back on terms there was to be a final twist of the knife.

Despite having only a couple of threatening attacks in the 2nd half and no more than 3 attempts on target in the entire match, when a ball was only half cleared from a corner a Howden mid-fielder latched onto the ball and despatched it goalward on the volley. It was a goal worthy of winning any match at any level and though one suspected he had never scored such a wonder goal before or ever will again it was enough to secure full points for the visitors.

It was a harsh lesson for the young Rangers team who so nearly battled back from a seemingly desperate situation to looking favourites to win , never mind grab a draw. Lack of concentration at key moments and lack of communication were the side's undoing in an otherwise encouraging display that promises much.

Outstanding performances from two young players, asked to do a lot, from Wiltshire in his first game for the team at Centre Back and Rob Field in his first start.

Team : Kitchen,Escritt,McLees,Wiltshire,Keagan, Black,Cregeen,Field,Hinchliffe,Sharp,Eaglen : Miller,Ball

Garforth Rangers AFC Res : 2  Oxenhope Rec Res : 9

03/09/11 WYAFL Alliance Div 2

Such was the visitors domination of this game that we couldn't agree on the final soreline so had to wait for confirmation from the referee. No matter what the score it reflected the visitors superiority in terms of better organisation and desire.

As a committed Rangers supporter I cannot accept that they had better players than us, but they did have a greater appetite for hard work and played well as a team. By contrast Garforth looked weak across the middle and at times ragged at the back. Basic errors and failure to retain possession of the ball by the home side were always punished as the visitors were confident of scoring from anywhere. This contrasted with a lack of purpose from Garforth's attack and a total inability to get a grip of the mid-field work ethic required to play at this level. It's true that half the team was different to the side that beat Ilkley last week, but that is often the case with a reserve side and something all teams and their players need to overcome.

Garforth's second string is a mix of older players and very young players normally, but on this occasion the youngest players had been rested ahead of a key game the following day when a good performance could enhance their prospects of selection for the District representative side. Team Manager Barry McAlinden has to put the scoreline from this game to the back of his mind whilst at the same time identifying the basics that need to be worked on. One positive is that his side became the first to score two goals against the division's clear leaders in 5 league games all of which have yielded 3 points

.

Garforth Rangers AFC Res : 4 , Ilkley Town Res : 2

27/08/11 WYAFL Alliance Div2

Both teams took the field with apparently weakened sides due to it being a Bank Holiday Weekend laden with distractions. The Garforth team showed 7 omissions from the previous Saturday’s match and included 6 players with little or no matches in the last 6 months plus 2 walking wounded. Despite looking reasonable on paper the transition to grass showed a team that barely knew each other let alone having experience of playing together.

Early play was dis-jointed as passes were mis-directed and under hit but an early goal for the home side, from Fraser Escritt, helped them settle quicker than their visitors. For a brief spell it looked like Rangers could take charge and make the next 80+ minutes a little more comfortable than expected, but it wasn’t to be and defensive lapses let Ilkley in for an equaliser.

At 1-1 the home side were fairly happy with progress at the half-way stage. As Reed had replaced Smith, before the break, there was little manoeuvre to make changes and the unfortunate victim was Field, champing at the bit to get on, he had to accept that with at least 2 players struggling with injuries, they brought into the game, his powder had to be kept dry. As in the first half, Garforth took the lead.

Sharp atoning for an earlier miss with a sweet finish. Ilkley then equalised from a corner when a goalkeeping error was punished. At this stage of the game the home side’s defence were looking flimsy and Ilkley looked likely to get further goals as centre back & captain McLees became increasingly less mobile through the affects of a long-term injury. The solution was to withdraw Mclees, drop Gill to centre back and replace him in mid-field with Field. The re-shuffle was almost immediately rewarded with a second Sharp goal and despite having to weather further promising attacks from the visitors, and a downpour, Sharp completed his hat-trick to make the game safe.

Team: Kitchen,Rough,Stones,McLees,Dobson,Escritt,Gill,Morton,Hill,Smith,Sharp : Reed,Field

Field FC Res  : 2, Garforth Rangers AFc Res : 1

20/08/2011 WYAFL Alliance Div 2

Rangers competed well in an even match that should have seen them come away with a point. A first half Dom Laughton penalty attempt was well saved by the home side keeper and a superbly taken goal by man of the match Gareth Reed wasn't enough to grab a share of the spoils. This was Garforth's third match in a league that is a big step up from where they played last season. So far we have competed with teams and looked like we could win games only for lapses in concentration to cost us dear. All three games have been tight and could have gone either way so a return of zero points is a little disappointing but the performances have been very encouraging.

Team : Kitchen, Rough, Stones,Bourke, Sharp, Wiltshire, Black, Cregeen, Hinchliffe, Laughton, Reed. Hill, Ball, Escritt.

Garforth Rangers AFC Res  : 2, Barwick FC Res  : 4

15/08/2011 WYAFL Alliance Div 2

The home side began the brighter of the two sides and dictated much of the play against a side whose average age was much greater. It was a surprise that the visitors took the lead when slack defensive play allowed a low shot to beat the keeper at the near post. Garforth’s youg side overcame the early reverse of fortune and their enterprising attacking play brought a much deserved equaliser as Jonny Booker beat a poorly executed off-side trap and rounded a desperate keeper to level. Rangers now seemed to grow in confidence and looked the more likely side to go on and win the game.

HT 1/1.

Again the home side began the half well attacking their visitors down both sides and creating openings, unfortunately only one of these was converted, by Dom Laughton, and that led to their eventual undoing. Teams who do not take their chances are often left to rue the misses and so it proved in this match as Barwick hit back to level the scores and then profit from sloppy defensive play resulting in a penalty that was duly converted and a wonder strike that found the top corner. For the second match running the Garforth players were left wondering how they had failed to get something out of a game in which they did so many good things. The law of football averages tells us that they will play much worse than this and yet win matches. In hindsight there isn’t much wrong with this side than an experienced and committed on field leader couldn’t put right fairly quickly.

Team : Reed, Rough, Sharp, McLees, Bourke, Cregeen, Booker, Hill, Laughton, Eaglen, Hinchliffe, Hudson, Allsop, Ogden, Whittaker.

Garforth Rangers AFC res : 0, R.I.A.S.A. FC Res  : 1

23/08/2011 WYAFL Alliance Div2

Both teams were making their debut at this level and there were signs of promise to come from their young players for both Management teams. The visitors looked more comfortable, in possession, during the early exchanges as Rangers ignored pre-match advice to get closer to their opponents. Once the message got through it was a closer contest and despite chances at either end it was a lucky deflection that led to the visitors scoring the games only goal.

H/T 0:1.

Garforth opened the 2nd half in more determined mood and looked as though they believed they could win the game. As the half progressed the home side looked ever stronger and it almost seemed as though an equaliser was inevitable. A leveller didn’t come and the visitors failed to make the most of their own chances created on the break. Though Rangers perhaps deserved a point from this match they will have taken heart from their performance and heads will be up for their next match which comes in two days time. Excellent debuts from 16 year olds Stones, Rough & Eaglen reinforced the confidence their coaches have in their youngest players and the promise they displayed bodes well for the club.

Team: Smith,Rough,Stones,McLees,Wadeley,Sharp,Creegan,Black,Eaglen,Hinchliffe,Reed : Bell, Laughton, Mays.

Garforth Rangers AFC Reserves Season 2009/10

garforthrangersafc@fsmail.net

New Players invited

For Season 2011/12

Contact us @ garforthrangersafc@fsmail.net

or contact  Colin Whittaker  - 07891545303

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