Reserves beaten by five star Rangers

Banbridge AFC Res 0

Rectory Rangers Res 5

Having agreed to a Rectory request to move the game to Friday night, AFC certainly regretted this fact as they were comfortably beaten by the significantly strengthened visitors.

However, AFC could have gone ahead as they did have the first opportunity in the Mid Ulster League Cup Round Two match. Stephen Brady was taken down in the box by the visiting keeper but the stopper certainly redeemed himself by saving Karl Cull’s spot-kick with his legs and then saw the follow up blazed over his crossbar.

It didn’t take the visitors long after to waken up and open their account for the day. Good play down their right created the opportunity which saw the forward head past O’Hagan unopposed.

The second goal followed shortly after. The left-back picked the ball up 25 yards out and fired home with a superb left foot strike.

The visitors struck twice more before half-time with an own goal and another header to leave AFC facing a heavy defeat, struggling at 4-0 behind at the break.

A more determined home side came out in the second half, closing down quicker and making it hard for the visitors to control the game as they had in the first half. Their improved performance at least limited Rangers’ goals and kept the score-line down compared to the first period.

Another headed goal for the visitors on the hour mark made it five but despite more pressure, they were unable to breach the home side’s rearguard again.

With 10 minutes remaining, the visitors were reduced to 10 men. A knee-high lunge on Carl Walker saw the centre-back receive a straight red card.

With this defeat, AFC now have four games remaining in the league. All of those are at home, the first scheduled for this Saturday (19 May) against Tullyvallen.