Deja vu for Rangers as they hit hosts for six

Banbridge Rangers travelled to Ashgrove Park in Markethill for the second time this season on Saturday and encountered some déjà vu with the result and flow of the game.
Glenn Moffett opened the scoring for Rangers almost fifteen minutes in, however, Markethill Swifts equalised ten minutes later.

Rangers had secured the services of former Moneyslane and Hanover defender Jonny O’Neill in midweek, who made a telling contribution during the course of his debut. O’Neill scored the pick of the goals on 36 minutes when a the experienced right back caught the ball with the perfect amount of curl and power to send a left footed shot into the far top corner.

With a couple of minutes to go before the break, O’Neill whipped in an inch perfect cross to the back post where Ryan McIlroy thumped a header into the far corner.

With Banbridge Rangers two goals to the good they came out for the second half brimming with confidence and a fourth goal was scored by Captain Colin Cousins.

With the result all but wrapped up Rangers continued to dictate the pace and a fifth goal was scored within four minutes as Craig McVicker got a reward for his trickery and chipped over the keeper after being played through. The sixth goal of the day came about after Ryan McIlroy was fouled down the left hand flank. Chris Chambers took the resultant free kick and drilled low to the side of the wall where Ryan Gregg dummied the ball and it sailed into the corner.

After the sixth goal Banbridge Rangers dropped the tempo off the game and with three minutes to go this attitude was punished by Markethill.

This was another win under the belt for a Banbridge Rangers squad who are growing in strength and confidence from week to week and will be looking to get their Premier Cup up and running with a win on Saturday when they travel to the league newcomers AFC Craigavon. With a Boxing Day Cup Final in Banbridge on the horizon, Rangers will be doing everything in their power to make it to the Quarter Final stage.