Sylvans 4, Rangers 4
SYLVANS have certainly taken their supporters through the full range of emotions at St Peter’s these recent weeks.
The boredom of the 0-0 draw against St Martin’s was followed by the despair of the 5-2 home hammering by Saints the following Saturday.
And there was more despair for the home faithful on Saturday as Clive Bateman’s young side gifted Rangers a 3-1 interval lead at St Peter’s.
But just when it seemed it could not get any worse, the gloom lifted and three goals in 25 minutes had those same supporters crowing at an amazing turnaround and a 4-3 advantage.
They held it until a few minutes from the end when Shane Billien headed a superbly crafted equaliser for a share of the spoils and brought the frowns back to the westerners.
Bateman (pictured) hardly knew whether to laugh, cry or simply be angry at the final whistle.
‘I’m disappointed we didn’t hold for the three points,’ he said after questioning my viewpoint on whether Rangers’ equaliser should have stood.
‘It was a blatant push on Strawbridge and I don’t see how the linesman could have missed it,’ complained Bateman, before changing his tune and praising his lads to the hilt.
‘I’m very happy with my team, delighted with my players, especially after last week.’
And so he should have been because it was a courageous fightback by Bateman’s boys who were so poor in the first period yet transformed themselves after the break and could so easily have won.
Rangers were good value for their 3-1 interval lead, but just didn’t turn up for the second half.
Ross Allen, who did pretty much what he wanted in the first half, suddenly became starved of the ball. And with Dave Parrott’s central midfield influence diminishing by the minute, Sylvans wrested control until Allen finally got back on the ball in the closing moments and, with some neat skill, set up Billien for the diving header which grabbed the visitors a point.
Rangers had taken just 11 minutes to go ahead and had already threatened Ashley Williams’ goal twice before Allen was tripped on the edge of the box. Olly Dowding delivered a pinpoint ball high to the far post and Parrott crashed home a firm header from five yards.
Sylvans were creating next to nothing, but out of the blue they equalised on 27 minutes.
Rangers only half cleared their lines and as the ball fell to young Matt Le Prevost, he skilfully volleyed a 25-yarder into the top corner, well out of the reach of Adam Gontier.
Rangers quickly regained their composure and within three minutes were ahead again.
Allen, simply too quick for Matt Seeds, was tripped again, but this time well inside the box and referee Derek Gilman was presented with one of the easiest decisions he had all afternoon.
Allen crashed home the penalty and two minutes later Parrott headed home another Dowding dead-ball kick to give his side a 3-1 lead and, seemingly, the points.
Sylvans’ way back into the match was the latest goalkeeping gaffe in Rangers’ season-long struggle to find a reliable keeper.
Tom Le Tissier’s return to university threw Gontier back into the fray and with the second half just a few minutes old he completely misread a bouncing ball, missed it altogether and Danny Watts was presented with one of the easiest goals he will ever score.
Jamie Le Cheminant then levelled with a fine curling effort into the far corner and no sooner had Tom Strawbridge rattled the bar with a header, Miles Pengelley pounced on a half-chance to drive Sylvans in front.
Rangers had lost all direction, but after a late triple substitution, Allen finally got to see some of the ball and his individual brilliance won them a point.
Article posted on 12th January, 2009 - 2.29pm
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