FC77 Rangers 5:1 Wolfhounds FC

FC77 Rangers 5 - 1 Wolfhounds FC

(McConnachie 15'; Gaffney 20'; Radigan 35', 40', 60')

The replay against Wolfhounds FC (aka Blue Monk) was very similar to the original meeting back on Easter Sunday for Match Day Two...a fine afternoon of football, a comfortable 5-1 win, the opposition losing a player due to an expired player card, and a good-natured 90 minutes of soccer on a pleasant spring day. Aaron Radigan, returning back to the squad after a two week long intercostal injury, put in arguably his best performance in a yellow shirt with a hat trick and the opening assist. Radigan would have surely won Man of the Match honors for his performance if our team actually gave out that award, but we don't because it is all about the team here at Rangers and there is no "I" in "TEAM"...but there is an "M" and an "E". Whatever.

Starting X:

DeBar, goalkeeper

Seaton - Calkins - Fahrbach, fullbacks

Ingersoll - Radigan - Sibanda - Gaffney, midfielders

Foubister - McConnachie, forwards

Reserve:

King

Normally, playing a man down would be a worrisome issue for a club, but when your opponent is also a man down--and then two men down before kick-off when they lose a forward to an expired player card--it tends not to be so bad. The Yellow and Black dominated from the very start, with confident passing and good use of the wings and flanks. Radigan reintroduced himself to the front line with a gift-wrapped present to McConnachie...A lovely lay-off pass allowed the striker to run onto the ball deep inside the Wolfhound box and put it past the keeper inside the near post. A quarter of an hour down and the home side was up 1-0. 'Hounds answered back with a gutsy run and earned themselves a corner quick for their industry, which they executed well and got a solid header onto the crossbar. Gaffney answered with the footballer's equivalent of a newspaper swat to the puppy's snout: He made a good solo run along the east touchline, cut in and seemed to be looking for a cross to Radigan or Foubister. As the defenders dropped back to anticipate the pass, Gaffney found himself with a clean look at the frame and efficiently put it past the Wolfhounds' netminder.

Rangers now took up positions just inside the midfield and began a siege of sorts as shot after shot rained on the 'Hounds goal, waited for the short clearance, and attacked. Radigan earned a brace within five or so minutes by getting himself open in the middle of the box, just inside the penalty spot, and killing off passes that dropped in to him. His second goal, when the 'Hound fullback botched a clearance at the six yard box, allowed Radigan to step in and pass it into the open net as the stranded keeper snarled, "Oh c'mon, guys!"

Up 4-0 at the break, the final result was really not in question. King had come on midway through the first half and gave 'Gers a 3-4-3 formation as Seaton, Calkins, and Fahrbach were relatively untroubled for the first 45 minutes, corner kick aside. A bright, cloudless day and temperatures in the low 70s added to a pleasant afternoon as FC77 set about to attack the Powell Street End. And attack we did. In all honesty, the home side probably took about 30 shots in the second half. That we did not finish with ten goals is a bit of a mystery...but the new Wolfhound keeper did make some good saves (full credit to him for withstanding the brunt of the siege), notably a diving lunge to his right to repel Radigan's aggro header. He was powerless to stop Radigan's hat trick on the hour, the first of his FC77 career, and in the spirit of good sportmanship, Aaron's goal celebration was respectably low-key. Foubister, King and McConnachie all had several pops at goal that went high or wide. Ingersoll, who decided he liked the whole dribbling thing from last week, made two deliberate runs at the Wolfhounds: His first run yielded a shot that was looking really good until the sweeper stuck his face in front of it and sent it over the bar and his second run took him through three defenders but he couldn't cut fast enough on the stopper. Still, two corner kicks aren't a bad thing. Sibanda controlled the midfield with his usual calmness, frequently changing up the play and taking on defenders, too. The back line was similarly collected and generally unbothered, with Calkins closing down angles from both wings as the situation merited and Fahrbach and Seaton handling their marks ably.

Wolfhounds did get a goal late in the match when their long ball jail break took a funny bounce and allowed a three person hunting party to ambush DeBar, but it was too little, too late. DeBar did finish with a handful of saves and his booming punts did allow 'Gers to counterattack from midfield, which is always a plus. As the sun beat down, several 'Hounds started to cramp and the referee, who was maybe seventeen, called the match around the 86th minute.

With a 3-3-1 record, post-season play looks doubtful. It would take a really bold run of awesome play and incredible results to pick up three more wins and hope that CHA stumbles at the finish line. How will it all end? Will there be heartache? Will there be glory? Will Marlina the Ranger Cheerleader mysteriously show up at the pitch and jump up and down to inspire us to victory. (Man, how awesome would that be?) Join us for the final 270 regular season minutes and find out!

Match notes...Attendance for the glorious afternoon was estimated at 15...This was Rangers' second consecutive double over Wolfhounds FC/Blue Monk...Congratulations to Stenhousemuir Warriors FC, newly promoted to the Scottish Second Division...Match photographs courtesy of Becki Ingersoll...No match next Sunday due to the Memorial Day Weekend holiday...

Next Match:

FC77 Rangers v. Blitz

Sunday, 31 May at 4:00 p.m. KO - NOT 12:00 NOON

Montessori Earth School

(I'm sure they'll have eleven players this time...)