Rangers Put Lions Out

That surface would grace many grounds at a higher level

 

Hopperational details

Sunday 17 October 2010, London Maccabi Lions 1 Enfield Rangers 5 in the 1st Round of the FA Sunday Cup in an 11.15am kickoff at Rowley Lane Sports Centre.

This match in one sentence

Enfield Rangers were more clinical in front of goal and proceeded to a routine win on an excellent playing surface, marred only by a needless dismissal in the closing minutes.

So what?

Enfield Rangers go through to the second round and have a trip to FC Tripimeni-Aris who beat AFC Harrow 4-0.  Their foul-mouthed staff will get the team fired up for the match on Sunday 21 November.

Who caught the eye on the pitch?

Enfield Rangers’ goalkeeper (whom I can identify only as Marlon) did not exude goalkeeperliness.  He was still putting on his kit as the teams lined up for the pre-match handshake.  The kit was one of the most eye-catching things on the pitch.  Marlon moved only when necessary and did what was required of him, including a couple of sharp saves, sometimes in unconventional style.  The Lions really should have made him work harder in the first half with their neat but ultimately unproductive approach play.  They were two down at the interval and pulled one back to stay in the game, but Rangers got three more as the home side were forced to commit people to attack as time ran out.

This match had the same effect on my pulse rate as …

… listening to the stream of effing protests, effing instructions and all-round effing manageffingment from the visiting bench.