Rangers Bow Out Of County Cup

If ever there was a game that could have gone either way, despite a 3-0 scoreline, this was it. Penn & Tylers Green must have sprinkled some magic dust in front of their goal as Rangers pinned them back for long periods. And when they did venture up the other end they capitalised in a manner that Rangers couldn't. Rangers only have themselves to blame and could easily have been three or four up themselves in the thirty minutes before Penn scored. Chances came and went for Faulkner, Pekun, Brian Haule and Hammond. The Penn keeper worked overtime making great saves from Rymer and again Haule. Pekun then hit a post with the rebound falling to Faulkner, whose shot was somehow brilliantly blocked on the line. Soon after Gordon's cross came off a post as Penn hung on. 25 minutes in something akin to a pinball game broke out in the Penn area as first Faulkner, then Haule followed by Rymer all had goal-bound strikes blocked by some desperate defending. The ball finally fell to Hammond on the edge who fired just wide. Somehow everyone of the 50 or so Rangers fans knew what was coming next, and sure enough, against the run of play Penn broke up-field and a good run and cross picked out the unmarked centre-forward who gleefully volleyed home from 10 yards. It was the home sides first real chance but one that was very well executed. A minute later and Penn's keeper again denied Rangers with a great save of Read's header. He was in action again soon after, saving Pekun's shot. Ten minutes from the break and Sethi’s free-kick was tipped over the Penn bar, only for the referee to bizzarly give a goal kick. It was not to be his best performance, as demonstrated later. 40 minutes in and Brooker in the Rangers goal made a great save during a rare Penn attack and three minutes later Penn hit the bar with a vicious strike. With one minute until the break Rangers' Hammond was sin binned for ten minutes for alleged backchat, which summed it up for the visitors somehow.

Rangers had to start the second half with 10 men as Hammond served out his remaining 9 minutes 'binning'but they came out fast and had the home side on the back foot, forcing several corners. It was Penn however that scored next as the referee awarded a free kick for what looked a fair challenge and as the ball was floated in the scorer of Penns first ghosted in to head home. Hammond returned to the pitch soon after and Rangers resumed their position in the Penn half with Pekun's shot spilled by the keeper but trickling wide. Another good move from Rangers saw Pekun in again and his low shot was just wide. Rangers hit the post for a third time in the 67th minute after Rymers great run and cross found Haule at the near post. His first time shot cannoned off the post from close range and Penn hacked away the clearance. Shortly after Penn went three up following another contentious free kick on the edge of the Rangers area after what looked a foul on Rangers defender Sethi!. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth the home side smashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner to make the result safe. Fiurther chances fell to Rangers' Squire-Adams, Read and Faulkner but with Penn's defenders throwing themselves in front to block chance after chance it was never going to happen.

Good luck to Penn in the next round, they deserved their win by showing grit and determination. It was certainly one of those days for Rangers, who certainly had most of the possession and chances, but sometimes that's just not enough.

Rangers Man of the Match: Gary Rymer. Looked lively and mobile Hard working and really unlucky not to get on the score-sheet.