EASTWOOD CFC 1-5 DEEPING RANGERS

Eastwood CFC .........1 (Sturgess 79')
Deeping Rangers.....5 (Showler 45', 45+1', Flack 49' pen, Pancho 67', Ellis 86')

A bad day at the office for Eastwood

The Gaffers made four changes from last Saturday’s defeat. Debutant Ayleal Dill comes straight in to start alongside Kyle Wrenn, Jack Messom and Tyrrell Shannon Lewis. Messom made his first start since the reverse fixture away at Deeping. TSL starts for the first time this year

Callum Jones drops to the bench joined by defender Ellis Chambers and new signinevante Reitgs Dte, Victor Lusuku and Diego Edwards. Connor Wrenn and Lavell White were both out injured and Finn Hunter has left the Halbrooke to join Clay Cross Town. McKenna Parton starts his two match suspension for an accumulation of cautions.

This was a game to instantly forget for the home supporters. Once Rangers went in front with a quick fire double strike just before the interval the game was over as a contest.

The Red Badgers started brightly enough with Ben Henderson prominent with his renowned trickery and pace down the left flank ably assisted by Sam Meakin. Eastwood’s No 11 was keeping Dan Flack and his co-defenders on their toes. At the other end Jake Showler, as he did in the reverse fixture a few weeks back, was proving a handful cleverly linking up play with top scorer Will Bird. Indeed it was a let off as early as the 10th minute when a snap shot from Bird was only a lick of paint away from the opener as his effort rebounded back in to play off a post.

Henderson dispossessed Luke Hunnings on the half hour and bore down on goal with just Luke Steele at this mercy. The ex-professional custodian kept his nerve to outwit Henderson to save low down. Minutes later Eastwood skipper had to be at his strongest to deny Jake Brown with a last ditch interception. Nothing to choose between the teams as half time approached ~ if anything the home side just shaded the overall play.

Seconds before the break came the breakthrough for the visitors. Showler was allowed too much space at the far stick to collect a Tai Williams cross from the right to pick his spot inside the far post. Seconds later and the same player was allowed to dance through leaving markers in his wake to slide the ball home for 2-0.

Hardly having time to clear their heads worse was to come from the homesters. Dangerman Showler was clumsily upended inside the box by Jacob Surgess, who earned a yellow for his indiscetion, leaving Mr Beard with no choice but to award a penalty. Visiting Captain Dan Flack blasted the spot kick high and wide of Warren Squires.

Eastwood were now chasing shadows but, to be fair, never gave up and created a few decent efforts themselves. Louis Anthony went close with a header following a Meakin corner but, not for the first time in recent weeks, there appeared to be a lack of a sharp cutting edge up front. Things got decidedly worse midway through the half. Brown found substitute Marcus Pancho in the inside left channel. Running directly at a static Eastwood defence he placed the ball beyond Squires for his sides fourth.

The Red Badgers countered with a couple of promising attacks of their own with a Kyle Dixon shot and Henderson again testing Steel’s resolve but found the ex-Barnsley and Forest stopper was more than up to his job.

Despite the scoreline Eastwood continued to try and salvage something from the apparent lost cause. They were rewarded for their efforts in the 79th minute when Sturgess powered home a fine header from a Meakin corner.

Pancho tested Squires abilities again and seven minutes later the visitors fifth arrived. The referee ignored Mr Singh’s correct offside flag and allowed Rangers to continue their attack. Jones DeSousa stood the ball up to the far post where Robbie Ellis headed the games final goal.

All in all not good enough for Eastwood on the day that they were always second best. Team effort and desire appears to be in evidence but at those two traits are rarely good enough to win football matches especially at this level.

Central defender Louis Anthony offered his thoughts to me post-match:~
"A disappointing game with too many individual errors, we have got a lot of manning up to do. Two errors in quick succession close to half time killed us really. We went in at 2-0 down and then they've just sat on their lead, slowed it down then took their chances when they could. We didn't create enough clear cut chances to worry them"

"We've held them pretty well but they've obviously created a few more chances as we've pushed on. There is no complacency in the camp, we are just on a bad run coupled with too many errors and we're just not quite good enough yet"

Attendance ~ 82
Referee ~ Martin Beard
Assistants ~ Derek Spray and Kooner Singh

Eastwood CFC~ Warren Squires, Kyle Wrenn (Callum Jones, 55') Jacob Sturgess (C) Louis Anthony, Sam Meakin, Joe Harrison (Victor Lusuku 77') Kyle Dixon, Ben Henderson, Jack Messom, Tyrell Shannon-Lewis (Diego Edwards 71') Ayleal Dill.
Substitutes not used ~ Ellis Chambers and Devante Reitte.
Caution ~ Sturgess (49' foul)

Deeping Rangers ~ Luke Steele, Dan Flack Jack Bloodworth, Dave Burton-Jones (C) Luke Hunnings, Robbie Ellis, Jake Brown, Sam Wilson, Tai Williams (Matt Carter 71') Will Bird (Marcus Pancho 28') Jake Showler (Jones DeSousa 50')
Substitute not used ~ Charlie Coulson.
Caution ~ Bloodworth (17' foul)