1st Game Autumn 06

Gents,

We kick off the new season with a game at 21:30 pm v Puss In Boots.

Our record against the Division 6 regulars reads:

Bramhall Rngrs (P)10 (W)2 (D)0 (L)8 (F)34 (A)89 (GD)-55 (PTS)6

They had a decent summer season, finishing 4th in the league with 30 points. The last two games have seen them beat the Rangers 15-5 and 7-4, although the heavy defeat was with a depleted Rangers team with 3 randomers in the line up.

Here's hoping gents.

Bramhall Rangers 2 - Northern Canaries 12

'If, since the start, I'd played well and put in some good matches it would all have been too simple.' - NICOLAS ANELKA

The anticipation for this match had grown all week. The Rangers, confident they could bury the demons of their past and sink the canaries for a memorable victory, were flying high until Thursday morning when they realised fate was dumping on them from a great height. The "Magnificent 7" that so often dominates the good results was reduced to the "So-So 5". Fist, Mini, Pie, Peter and Rascle turning up on the day for the match. Players unable to play included Shiz, who was on loan at a London club. Belly, whom is rumoured to have successfully had a knee Op, and is back in pre-season training. Justin, with whom 10pm kick offs rarely agree with. And Nev, who took a HORRIBLE clatter in last weeks match. He turned up as our only supporter, and having shown us his black and blue foot from toe to ankle, watched the rangers final game of the season.

So, onto the game, the canaries playing with 6, and in their flash new Norwich shirts. They looked a fitter team than previous outings and they certainly took the game to the rangers. Stacey being very quick to push the Rangers into their own half. But Rangers were playing calm. Passing the ball back to Fist to consume time, and keep possession. Rascle was settling into defence, and when he wasn't stood talking with Stacey, he was ghosting him like a shadow, forcing him to pass more instead of shoot. Peter and mini were doing their best to push forward, with Pie making a bright start. The Canaries first goal came around 7 minutes into the game. A swift 1-2 past the defenders, and slotted past a diving Fist. Rangers were doing their best to reply, Mini trying to turn players and shoot when possible. But his eye infection meant a lack of depth perception was hampering his accuracy. Peter was doing well on occasions to skip past 2, but his shot was often poor. It was nice to see he got annoyed at himself for missing some simple shots, although that pressure was building as the game went on.

Canaries managed to find the back of Fist's net on 3 more occasions before the half time whistle. A tired rangers team swapped ends slowly and made sure they got some air on board. Although tired bodies were on the pitch, sharp minds were still willing to push further. Rangers were happy with a 4-o scoreline, and were confident they could go on to score. The mid time scores came in as we learned Slim Jims had already won, sending them back to division 5, and making our match redundant. Especially as League leaders Rapid tiriers stormed past an idle cheadle, with cheadle conceding their 150th goal this season in a 15-1 defeat, to finish top of the table. Canaries could go no higher, we could go no lower. And yet canaries didn't seem to grasp this notion!

The second half started off much as the first. Rangers keeping men behind the ball for the first few minutes. But tiredness was starting to tell. Rangers conceded another few goals, and tempers were raring. Rascle annoyed at being forced onto the wing from defence. Pie irritated that Peter was not passing much, and Mini aggrieved that his shooting was off. Straight from kick off Peter passed back to Rascle who took a speculative shot from half way that soared high into the night sky. His spectacular goal against Canaries last season was not going to be repeated. The Rangers were trying harder to score in the second half however, with Mini scoring our first of the night. A swift through ball was nicely controlled, and tucked under the keeper to much applause. Everyone wanted a goal, and people were working hard to run forward for shots, and run back for defence. Pie was shooting whenver possible, electing not to pass and drag a shot wide. Peter was missing shots he would normally tuck away. Mini on a certain goal hit the keeper, and struck the 2 resulting rebounds straight at the man between the sticks too. Mini put a good through ball to Rascle who took one touch that was a little too hard and it rolled harmlessly into the keepers arms. Suddenly a swiftly taken throw went out to Canaries number 8. Confusion between Peter, Pie, and Rascle left Fist vulnerable for the resulting shot, that tucked into the bottom corner from the unmarked striker.

Canaries shots were ultimately better than Rangers. Shooting hard meant rebounds came out far enough for them to retain possession. And they weren't afraid to shoot from anywhere. Rascle tried to block a shot that skimmed under him and past a stationary Fist. This, Fist claimed, was due to being unsighted by Rascles "considerable bulk". Moving up the other end of the pitch and the ball was passed nicely from defence by pie to Peter. Rascle and Mini ran to the goal line and both screamed for the pass. But Peter once again chose to shoot, and scored a great goal from an impossible angle, clipping the top far corner of the net. But this was to be our last goal. However not the last word in the match. The the final 10 minutes, canaries scored the rest of their 12 goals, making them the leagues top goal scorers on 130 goals for. But it wasn't the shooting that was causing Nev to cheer wildly on the sidelines.

A quick footed Canary number 8 was met with the slow tackle of Rascle, sending him flying. Budweiser had turned up to see our "soccerball" and fearing that it was getting boring seemed to launch a "added time multiball", with 2 other footballs arriving from nowhere onto our pitch. Rascle took a shot in the nuts, as well as blocking 3 of his own players shots! Mark saved many shots in a good fashion, tho the one he caught just millimetres from his nuts was a corker!

But everyone's amazing moment had to be the Pie and Peter show. Pie, understandably annoyed at Peters insistence to dance the ball out of defence and usually failing, launched into a scathing attack mid game. Screeching like a banshee at Peter to pass the ball to Fist and start looking up, as Pie was also free for the pass. In a true moment of madness, Peter turned to face his own goal and screamed "Just fuck off john!", and proceeded to blast a toe poker at Fists goal! The shot, being of more skill than the ones facing the oppositions net, narrowly missed the corner, whereby all the rangers stopped. Canaries continued to play and Pie fell over ass over tit clearing the ball. The canaries commented "did we get the free kick because those two were arguing?"

As the final whistle blew, Rangers knew they were deservedly beaten. The "so-So 5" had proved themselves admirably in tough circumstances, but were once again thwarted by lower fitness than our opponents, some tired man marking at the end, and surprisingly, poor shooting. Which isn't usually the key to our downfalls. In fighting and unrest in the team is also starting to creep back in, wlthough we're confident we can beat this. The loss saw us end the league in 7th place, having conceded 125, and scoring 67 this season.

The next few weeks see's us missing key players again. Pie, so often a source of passes, goals, sourcing players, and general footballing comedy, is away in Australia for 3 weeks. Nevs ankle looked nasty and we discussed him being out for 3 weeks. Belly is still going to be 3-4 weeks it is suggested with his knee. We'll hear about Mini's eye infection shortly. And shiz is rumoured to be on a training course next week. Although he's back for the Rangers awards next friday. Remember to fill in your voting forms!! Categories chosen include:

Player of the Season
Most Improved Player
Coco the Clown
Sicknote
One Hit Wonder
Rick Holland sponsored Crunching tackle award - An award for the Ranger player who dishes out the toughest challenge that the ref doesn't call a foul for.

Remember its at the mango lounge in stockport. Shiz will be providing clearer details soon.

Final Score – Bramhall Rangers 2 Northern Canaries 12
Goals - Mini (1), Peter (1)

Nev goal watch - 39

Rascle

Bramhall Rangers 11 - 15 Omatha

"I think this could be our best victory over Germany since the war" - John Motson

Expectation was building prior to this match after recent form of two victories from the previous three matches. In the last meeting with Omatha the Rangers had been resoundingly trounced 11-4 and as an incentive prize money was on the table for the first person to bring down (legally) Omatha’s talisman, Henry.

Again it was the ‘Magnificent 7’ (© Pie) that stood up to take on this challenge.

Nev was the first to be tempted by this wager; low visibility and poor road safety sense combining to make Henry potential easy pickings in the car park.

As with last week the Rangers made an excellent start to the match, with Mini notching up a two goal lead within minutes that left Omatha stunned. However for the next few minutes it was Omatha’s turn. Rangers eased of the pressure and allowed Omatha to make some precision shots from tight angles. This resulted in Omatha claiming a goal and then scoring a further two in almost the same style; powerful low shots beating Mr T at his far post. Omatha may have had money on decking the Rangers too; their bespectacled forward (who had ordered us to provide a ‘nice clean game’ prior to kick off) commited his second blatant foul of the night, sidelining Nev for the rest of the match.

Cometh the hour cometh the man, and an Omatha infringement won the Rangers a penalty. Pie was the man to take, driving in a powerful shot to the right of the despairing keeper. Rangers again took the lead though Mini, but with some fancy footwork and shooting from the opposition, Rangers went in to half time 6-4 down.

Both sides were beginning to tire as the second half commenced, but traded goals pretty evenly none the less. Omatha’s strategy seemed more practiced skill than luck; whenever their man had any space a shot was rifled low and hard towards the corner of the Rangers goal, more often than not slipping into the corner of the net beyond Mr T. The goals conceded could have been a lot higher with this skill on show but generally excellent man marking and good communication from defence stemmed the flow of shots.

Rangers had some good chances, Omatha repeatedly committing two players to tackle one Ranger. With a man found unmarked in space, Rangers tried some distance shots of their own and were occasionally rewarded, Pie claiming his second of the match with a deflection from his rasping right foot drive.

In the final 5 minutes Rangers were trailing 15-8, but still managed to worry Omatha with a final flurry of activity. Big Pete slotted home his first of the match.
Rangers 10^th goal, a left footed shot, provided Pie with his first Powerleague hattrick, and Rascle materialised outside the Omatha box to notch up another.

All of the team ended the match with cuts and grazes and Pie had a bloodied knee after being cut down by Henry, but the Rangers can take some comfort from converting so many chances, Rangers highest haul this season.

Final Score – Bramhall Rangers 11 Omatha 15
Goals - Mini (6), Pie (3), Big Pete (1), Rascle (1)

Nev goal watch - 39

Bramhall Rangers 7 Monkhouse Gladbach 2

“Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” – Muhammad Ali

A turbulent season is drawing to a close for the Rangers. Consistency has been lacking, yet there has been promise shown in a fair number of bouts. After a couple of inconsistent performances in the last two clashes, Rangers went into this Thursdays meet with the “Magnificent 7” (copyright pending by Pie). The household names do not need mentioning but for the sake of the report they were Mr T in the sticks, Nev and Rascle doing the defensive blocking, Pie and Shiz the combinations, and Big Pete and a returning Mini looking for the finishing blows.

In their last meeting the blues had narrowly been beaten by Monkhouse Gladbach by 8-6. Mini had suffered a bloodied nose and Lifey had been in the squad. Gladbach were at a disadvantage from the off with no substitutes but started the contest with the advantage of having the sun right in Mr T’s eye line. Would this prove an important factor?

The first 10 minutes were low scoring, both teams jabbing and moving but neither committing to the big blows. There was a lot of space and as the two medium weights danced around the playing arena it was an unlikely source with landed the first telling blow. On his 50th appearance in the blue Rascle ventured into un-chartered territory and out of nowhere squeezed an effort through the defences to put the Rangers 1-0 up on the night. The Gladbach defence seemed to crumble and probably should have stood up tall.

Monkhouse did land a blow of their own but were always chasing the game and were on the ropes consistently after Mini waltzed through the defence and scored despite the best efforts of Stripy to use underhand tactics to bring him to his knees. The first round ended with out any more significant moments. Certainly no other goals were scored and despite only leading by one, Rangers knew their chances would come as Monkhouse tired with no subs.

The second half did pan out this way, and Monkhouse swapping goalkeeper did aid the Rangers. Big Pete was still searching in vein for his 100th goal for the Rangers, but was thwarted at every opportunity. When it seemed like he had manoeuvred himself into a scoring position the block came in, or the Monkhouse defence stood firm. Piggy tried it all….dodge…duck…weave…but it just wasn’t happening. On the other hand Mini was finding it easier to score. After fluffing an attempted pass to Shiz the ball fell kindly to him again and he scored from a tight angle to give Rangers a 3-1 led.

Pie was suffering the same fate in front of goal as Big Pete and after squandering a one on one in the first half was doing all he could to add to his 6 goals for the season. Some wayward blows were thrown; the closest effort glancing of a post after the initial effort had been parried.

Ranger’s next goal came courtesy of a dubious penalty decision when their keeper was adjudged to have left the area. After Lifey, Big Pete and Shiz contrived to miss their last 3 pens, Mini took on the responsibility this time after Big Pete shunned the opportunity. It was coolly slotted home to open the gap further. Rangers did concede one more in the game. A long range effort deceived Mr T who was opting to go continental and punch many of the efforts on goal. This often threw the defence into panic but fortunately Monkhouse didn’t capitalise on the rebounds.

Big Pete still eager for the goal was creating so many chances it was amazing. They all fell by the wayside though. After some good work and a save by the keeper from another effort Shiz was there to force home the rebound for his 3rd of the season and 25th in total. Pie who is hoping to make double figures for the first time in his career this season will have to go some in the next two games as it requires 4 more goals.

With the game drawing to a close it seemed that Big Pete would have to wait another game for that elusive 100th goal. With time ebbing away he gathered the ball and with all the power he could muster burst through the defence and lashed the ball high into the roof of the net. The release of pressure was evident and the goal well deserved for what capped a thoroughly decent game for the big striker. His work done, Big Pete could sub off to watch the remaining 2 minutes, pumping his fists in delight.

There was a sense that Nev could also nick a goal as the gaps opened up toward the final whistle. After doing the defensive work well he pushed up more but the shots didn’t carry the usual accuracy he can find from distance. A couple troubled the keeper but Nev will remains on just the one goal. He and Rascle have formed a decent partnership and both will be hot contenders for the awards at the end of the season.

With Pie now resigned to not scoring he was still involved in the last move of the game. Exchanging a quick one two with Mini, Pie released Mini with a good touch and vision and he was allowed to jab home his 4th of the game to complete a convincing victory. There was no time for the restart and Rangers sealed the win.

Helped by the depleted Monkhouse team Rangers can be satisfied with their performance. The defending was haphazard at times and will be punished against better opposition. The next game is against Omatha and they have been beaten by Rangers before in what have been physical meetings. Hopefully the “Magnificent 7” (copyright pending from Pie) will be available to go again.

Final Score – Bramhall Rangers 7 Monkhouse Gladbach 2
Goals - Mini (4), Rascle (1), Shiz (1), Big Pete (1)

Nev goal watch - 38

Bramhall Rangers 1 Rapid Tirers 15

"Players lose you games, not tactics. There's so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes." - Brian Clough (take note Piggy! ;) )

Sometimes in football you can be involved in one of those games which you will remember for the rest of your life. It happens all the way through football, from our level right up to Premiership, Europe and Internationally. As a Stockport County fan I have experienced this in the past – our promotion season in 96/97 was the best footballing experience I think I’ve had in my lifetime. And who wouldn’t have wanted to experience what Man Utd did when they came from behind in the dying minutes in 1999 against Bayern Munich to win the European Cup? Or be on the pitch when England went to Germany and beat them 5-1. Even Emile Heskey scored! Admittedly there has never been much for the Rangers to shout about. Would the game against Rapid Tirers prove to be a turning point and a night to remember?

Last time we met them it was a roasting hot Sunday evening, the evening after the night before when drunken debauchery and sunstroke decimated the Rangers ranks after Markstock. Yet the makeshift team that day battled and fought and came away with an unlucky 5-4 defeat.

It was always going to be tough though – Mini had only just flown back into the Country from his Eastern European scouting mission and was stuck somewhere down near London. Big Pete had somehow managed to pull his calf muscle during a mid-week strenuous training session, Hedderz had disappeared off again after his cameo last week, and first choice reserve Lifey was again mixing with the high flyers and unavailable. While the returning Nev brought some relief, it was clear there was a complete lack of striking know-how. Abrar was called on to bring a bit of Brazilian flair, and Stu made a return after 18 games. The rest of the team was made up of the remaining stalwarts – Mark in goal, Pie, Shiz, Russ and Nev. There was a brief hope at the beginning of the week when Belch suggested he might be able to make a return. He was having a check up on Tuesday, and was hoping the medical experts would suggest he should step up his exercises with his dodgy knee. He said if they gave him the go ahead he would consider coming along and maybe having a run out for 5-10 minutes at the end of the game, just to see how it went. It was not to be however as he was advised to sit out a little longer and attend a couple of physio sessions. But I think we are getting closer to Belch’s return!

A series of unfortunate events meant we arrived at Powerleague with only minutes to spare, and a lack of a football meant we were unable to properly warm up. A few quick stretches later and the game was underway.

I think the less said about the game the better to be honest. The Rangers were never really in it, and rarely threatened up front. The defending was fairly poor, even by Rangers standards. Tackling was at times weak, tracking at times non-existent. Rangers went in 5-0 down at half time, hardly having a sniff and generally a little disheartened. Rapid Tirers were generally fitter, quicker and more skillful. However there was a general feeling that while we would never be able to match them, we could (and should) be pushing them a little harder.

However the second half was perhaps even poorer. The Tirers got another 10 goals, generally from poor defending, although a couple came from incredibly tight angles and beat Fist at his near post, which is disappointing for any goalkeeper. To be fair Mark did his utmost to try and keep the score down, making a number of excellent saves and shouting commands from his area with authority. A pity the players in front of him couldn’t give a similarly commanding performance.

There wasn’t a huge amount to cheer for the Rangers at the other end either, though we did get a goal. Abrar managed to just fire a shot off as the defender closed him down, and it hit the inside of the defenders leg and diverted past the keeper. That was it though - a scrappy finish, and it pretty much summed up the Rangers game! Stu and Pie both came close in the second half with a shot each that rattled the cross bar, and there was a moment when it looked like Nev would break his goal watch when he popped up on the edge of the box with the ball at his feet. But under pressure from the defender he scooped it over the bar.

But it finished 15-1 to Rapid Tirers, and was certainly one to forget for the Rangers. Poor defending and a lack of anything up front were the main points to take away and try to improve for next game. Hopefully a more normal service will be resumed when the core first 7 get a run out next week against Monkhouse Gladbach.

Final score - Bramhall Rangers 1 Rapid Tirers 15
Goal – Abrar (1)

Nev goal watch - 37