Football: Rangers are sent crashing out
DEEPING Rangers were bundled out of the FA Cup in a shock home defeat to Gresley FC on Saturday.
Rangers' opponents at Outgang Road play in the East Midlands Counties League and only formed last season following the demise of Gresley Rovers.
The game started at a ferocious pace with end-to-end play and Deeping struggling to find an opening through the visitors' defence.
Both keepers were in outstanding form, and both were called upon on numerous occasions to save their side.
Deeping keeper Lee Crockett dived full length to tip one effort over the bar but Rangers were not so lucky from the resulting corner as Jardi Gough hit home for the visitors.
The home side were back on the attack from the restart and Mark Paul played the ball for Ryan Oliver to run on deep into the Gresley half.
Oliver managed to get behind the visitors defence to pass the ball across goal but Scott Musgrove failed to connect with the goal gaping.
Soon after Deeping hit the post but after going in one goal down at half time, Rangers' boss Pat Rayment rung the changes as he tried to find the combination to unlock the Gresley defence.
Ryan Oliver and Danny Marlow were taken off to make way for Sam Bettinson and John Hands, and this appeared to make a difference with Rangers on the offensive from the restart.
Mitch Griffiths weaved his way behind the Gresley back line only for Hands to fail to make contact with the ball and spurn another chance.
Deeping began to run out of ideas and with 15 minutes remaining, Jimmy Dean gave the ball away to Adam Betteridge who chipped over Crockett to end the game as a contest.
The last 10 minutes saw both keepers making outstanding saves, but Gresley were both fitter and quicker, and deserved to progress to the next round.
Bitterly disappointed by his side's showing, Deeping boss Rayment said: "Our start to the season has been an absolute disgrace.
"We only drew against a team that usually finish bottom of our league and don't even pay their players in our first game - and now we have been out-battled and out-played by a side from a lower-level.
"People need to forget about our injury problems and unavailability because that is not an excuse. We are not even competing."
Deeping Rangers: Lee Crockett, Jamie McCormack, Ben Porter, Danny Marlow, Ben Brown, Danny Hussey, Mitch Griffiths, Jimmy Dean, Mark Paul (Andy Goodliffe), Ryan Oliver (Sam Bettinson), Scott Musgrove (Jimmy Hands). Subs not used: Ryan Birtles. Man of the Match sponsored by The Vine was Jimmy Dean. Match sponsor was former gateman Roy Robinson.
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Weather for Bourne
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
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