In an incident packed BOP division three game, Gary Fowell
Builders Plains Rangers went down in the final seconds at Whakatane Town
on Saturday.
Rangers began the game well, putting together some good passing moves.
After twenty minutes, strikers Harley de Lacy and Aaron Muggeridge pressured
the home team defence. The clearance was intercepted by Bas Overdevest.
He fed a neat pass to Muggeridge who coolly drew the keeper and scored.
Late in the half Rangers had a goal disallowed when de Lacy had done a
great job riding a bad tackle and then pulling the ball across goal for
Dean Butterworth to volley in. However the linesman determined the ball
had crossed the line and a goal kick was awarded. Half time had Rangers
ahead 1 - 0.
The second half began well enough for Rangers but midway through the half
things started to go wrong. A scuffle on the edge of the Whakatane penalty
area ended with Muggeridge and Whakatane's Lee Barton being sent off.
The home team got back on level terms, with Rangers keeper Cody Hancox
making a good save from a free kick, but the rebound was bundled in by
Marcel de Boer. Things got worse for Rangers in the final minutes with
de Lacy dismissed for a second yellow card, and then, in the last seconds
of time added on, de Boer ghosted in at the far post to volley home the
winner. The final score: Whakatane Town 2 Plains Rangers 1.
It was not the ending Rangers wanted to their league programme, but Richie
Nillesen's outstanding display earned him player of the day. However next
Saturday they have a special fixture to look forward to. The main sponsors
of the Whakatane 1st team and Rangers - Pullar Builders and Gary Fowell
Builders - have arranged a challenge between the two sides. This will
be at Rex Morpeth Park at 2 pm. Hopefully the Rangers players can recover
from this defeat and a number of injury concerns to give their opponents
a stern test.
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