27th October 2011
The elements were certainly doing their best to create a tempestuous atmosphere on the evening we played 'The Toolips'. As I drove to 'The Towers' lightning glimmered through thick cloud formations and a feeling of menace abounded. There were reports of torrential downpours down Stamford way, but apart from a few drops, which fell in almost apologetic manner, 'The Theatre of Dreams' remained dry. Having spanked those 'Bouncey Tiggers' from Holbeach in the Vase, this fixture against Spalding gave us the chance for a quick, nifty double over local opposition.
Have you ever experienced that feeling when you just know that all is right with the world? A moment when there are no concerns to weigh you down, and you feel comfortable in your surroundings? Well that's just how your Rambling Ranger felt during the first half of the big game. It was a fine autumn evening, with a slight chill in the air. I was chomping on one of Mr. Frisby's finest sausage rolls and the football that we were playing was, at times, just sublime.
Speaking of the sausage rolls makes me think back again to the Holbeach cup game. Having skipped lunch to get to the ground early I had rather set my mind on a nice, warm pasty. However, a gang of Scarborough Athletic supporters arrived on a ground-hopping exercise and before you could say 'who ate all the pies?', that's just what they had done. Greedy beggars! Still, it was nice to see some new faces at the game and they were very complimentary about our set up.
But I digress. As I say, the football we played early on against 'The Toolips' was stunning. The passing between all the forwards, and the attacking forays from Matty Evans were a pure joy to watch. What a shame that we could not convert all the many chances made into goals. However 'Jonesey' and 'Joshy' both managed to convert to give us a 2-0 advantage at half time, or as I prefer to call it, tea time.
In the second half the Rangers faithful were given one, or two flutters when, against the run of play, Spalding clawed their way back into it by scoring two goals of their own. And when 'Joshy' had converted two penalty kicks to give us a 4-2 lead with just under ten minutes to go, shades of the previous Tuesday evening's game came back to haunt us. Winning by the same margin against Wellingborough they somehow managed to level at 4-4 right on the final whistle. Surely history could not repeat itself?
History, dear reader, did not repeat itself. 4-2 was the end result and another three points go into the pot. It was a great night and the home crowd went home (or to the bar!) in high spirits. I just felt sorry for the referee who had no less than twenty assessors watching and marking him! Poor sap!!!
COME ON YOU RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!