Report

Penrith Rangers made the short trip to Kirkoswald with both teams very much within a chance of winning the league.

Kirkoswald started the better having the majority of  the first half possession with Naill Renwick going close on a couple of occasions to giving the home team the lead, Rangers first genuine opportunity of the game fell to Karl Jackson when his shot from 12 yards produced a superb from Tom Banks.

The first goal of the game came from Rangers as Dan Hurley collected the ball and curled a shot from 20 yards with his weaker right foot into the bottom corner.  Kirkoswald continued to press for the remainder of the half but couldn’t find a way through a stubbon Rangers defence.

As the game wore on both teams began to struggle with the conidtion of the pitch as it began to cut up badly due to the recent heavy rain, Rangers though continued to keep the ball on the ground and began to dominate for the first time in the game and doubled their lead after 60 minutes when Jackson fired a low shot from distance into the bottom corner.  With Kirkowald pushing forward Rangers had opportunities to extend their lead further as Ivinson, Hurley, Lynch, Balmer all went close and this was to prove costly as it would be Kirkoswald who’d score next went Elliott was left free to head home from close range giving Kirkowald a lifeline, this goal gave them a massive lift and put Rangers under constant pressure as they looked for that second goal, with five minutes remaining Kirkoswald did equalised from a corner when Ross Kaminski managed to toe poke the ball home from close range.  Kirkoswald pushed looking for the winner and would only be denied by Rangers goalkeeper Mark Graham who made numerous saves in the final few minutes as the game ended in a draw.