Report

Penrith Rangers Reserves played their first game in 11 weeks when they entertained Ibis at Frenchfield and within 5 minutes they found themselves in front when a mistake at the back allowed Andrew Burrell to nip in and push the ball past the keeper from the edge of the box, it seemed that the defender in pursuit of the ball had ample time to clear it but he could only help the ball into the net.

The lead didn’t last long though as Ibis equalised in bizarre fashion, Steve O’Kane played a back pass to young debutant goalkeeper Shane Williams, the ball took a couple of nasty bounces on the way back and forced Williams to control the ball first, his clearance hit oncoming Ibis striker Hardiker on his back and agonisingly rolled into the back of the Rangers net to level the game.

The same Ibis player ten minutes later should have put the visitors ahead but he blasted a good chance over the bar and only minutes later he was unfortunate to see his header crash off the underside of the bar.

The game evened itself out and both sides played some decent football in patches and Rangers midfielder Chris Wilson brought a smart save out of Chris Miller in the visitor’s goal and from the resultant corner Mark Lawson saw his volley cleared off the line.

As the half drew to a close Stephen Knowles forced Williams into a fine save diving smartly to his left and holding onto the ball. In the last minute of the half Ibis midfielder Mark Selby thought he had given his side the lead as hit vicious shot beat the Rangers keeper only to see Neil Davidson perform heroics as he somehow cleared the ball off the line.

After a fairly even start to the second half it was Ibis who took the lead when a good run down the flank by Hardiker found Stuart Dixon and he finished easily from close range, Rangers kept plugging away and Liam Housby was unlucky to see his 20 yard shot dip just over the crossbar.

Ibis introduced two quick substitutions and within five minutes Jack Dixon put Ibis 3-1 up with more or less his first touch of the ball hammering it past the Rangers keeper from close range without a Rangers player anywhere near him.

With 5 minutes remaining Rangers were thrown a lifeline when a superb pass from O’Kane found Burrell with time and space to finish clinically from 8 yards out, Rangers poured players forward in search of an equaliser but in the last minute the other Ibis substitute Lee Jolley wrapped the game up with a good finish to give the visitors a 4-2 victory.