Bulwell Rangers 0  Hucknall Sports U9's Saturday 4

Saturday 18th February 2006

A well-contested local derby played at a high tempo, sees Sports take another three points on the road. 

Although this match started at a high tempo anyone watching could have been fooled into thinking this was a friendly game rather than a league two match of the Young Elizabethan, such was the manner in which it was played out. Sports tested the Rangers keeper early on and from a good save Rangers went straight on the counter attack forcing eventual man of the match Daniel Crump into a well timed last gasp tackle and with both sets of supporters roaring their approval of the early football the game exploded into life. 

The sparkling link up play between Stephen Whitley and Joe Walker was testing the Rangers defence to the max forcing a succession of corners that captain fantastic Liam Kilcullen was delivering into the box menacingly and it was from one of these that Sports opened the scoring. Kilcullen struck a thunderbolt of a cross into the box that proved too hot to handle for the very impressive Rangers keeper and the ball ended up in the back of the net. Rangers responded well but could not find their way through the Sports defence. Joe Walker was to make it two for Sports with a peach of a strike at the end of a superb piece of passing football. The move started with Kilcullen, who from a good tackle set Whitley off on his trademark run down the right flank and after turning the defender inside out crossed the ball for Joe Mee who unselfishly laid the ball off for Walker who made no mistake with his well driven strike. 

The second half began much like the first with both sides giving it their all, Richard Allen on for Mee came close to making it three when he latched onto a cross from Whitley but was denied by some very brave goalkeeping. Rangers launched a superb counter attack from the ensuing goal kick but the Sports keeper Dean Harris demonstrated how he has kept ten clean sheets this season with a breath taking save. Sports again went on the attack and after forcing another corner Kilcullen delivered the perfect ball for Allen to flick onto the back post where the marauding Daniel Long was waiting to fire home with his rocket launcher of a left peg. Sports 4^th goal was almost a replay of their 3^rd the only element missing was Allen’s flick on, but Long finished off Kilcullen’s corner with style. At 4-0 down you would expect a team to give up but not Rangers, they are a team that are improving with every game and they battled right to the last and forced Harris into a couple of tremendous saves late on. 

In an actual friendly after the main match Sports keeper Dean Harris who was allowed out from between the posts touched every blade of grass on the pitch before scoring the only goal of the game and picking up the man of the match award as much for entertainment value as his enthusiasm and hard work.