Rangers V Penryn Pre Season friendly

Porthleven Rangers 1 - Penryn 8

Rangers travelled to Penryn on Saturday with a weakened side to play a combination of Penryns Div 1/2 sides. A game of three half's this one, with the 90 minutes divided into three 30 minute sections. This allowed both sides a chance to try different formations and different players. A great advantage as it turned out for Penryn who were certainly not short on numbers. Whereas Rangers had just 14 of its 26 man squad available ( Cricket, Work, Holidays and injury taking care of the rest).

The game did start brightly for the under dogs with Penryn not use to being closed down so quickly and by being caught out by Rangers being a better side than they had thought. One player was heard to say on the forced hike to the field, sorry pitch, it's not Porthleven it's only Rangers. Well, it was only Rangers who took the lead after 15 minutes of the first period when Tax dodging Centre half Dave Pollard fired home from close range after some good work down the right by loan signings for the day Jock Burgoyle (Stithians) and Dan the man (Porthleven Res/2nds).

With Penryn being forced into errors and with their Keeper failing to hold onto any thing Rangers could have stretched the lead but it wasn't to be. When left wing Tom I have a headache Layzell was forced off after a clash of heads. Rangers Veteran and manager Powell was forced to take to the field carrying an injury himself and very tired legs from Thursdays much easier than Tuesdays (Lying B*.?$*£d Howes ) training session. It wasn't long after that that a well directed Toe Punt from the edge of the box found its way into the corner of the net giving Rangers Keeper Steve Tresidder no chance.

When the second third started Penryn made several changes and brought on some more experienced players and more importantly fresh legs. Rangers didn't have that luxury when Jock went off with a pulled hamstring. Just to add insult to injury a Very Local Referee then sent off Rangers centre Half Ryan Brum Willets for foul and abusive language, after he failed to see him being mugged on the edge of Rangers box.

With the manager Powell arguing with the Ref as much as possible, he was adornment he had to go and not for the agreed sin binning, agreed before kick off, but the rest of the game (a decision he then relented on in the third period ). This led to Rangers having to reshuffle yet again and with 10 very tired bodies facing fresh legs all over the Park, goals started to follow. By the end of the period it was 5-1 to a much relieved Penryn side.

The final period saw Rangers forced to use Keeper Bart Wortley in the out field and more shuffling of the pack, with front man Bartlett going off with a metertarsol or was it a blister. Again Penryn brought on fresh legs and again this did tell on Rangers who by now were pretty much all spent, but this didn't stop them creating a couple chances of their own. Somehow the Penryn keeper made a couple of good saves, One from Bart which looked for all to be a certain goal, but somehow the keeper managed to get a hoof on it. Good job he didn't use his hands as there is no way he would have held it. Rangers got through on several occasions and each time the ball just wouldn't go in and each time it was a long way back to the defence.

Penryn eventually ran out convincing winners 8-1 but this game was not about the scoreline for Rangers, it was about getting rid of some cob webs and starting to think about football again.

The next challenge for Rangers will be Lizard away on Friday the 18th, by then the Rangers side should be back to something like full strength and be looking for a better performance.

Managers Verdict........ 8/10 for effort, overall 3/10 must try harder.

Match Report By Cozy Powell