Rangers fail to cash in on Garland strike

BELS will meet North in the semi-finals of the Stranger Cup early next month, but Ray Queripel's team had to come from a goal behind to put out Rangers at the Track and a mile or so away at Northfield the chocolate-and-blues were briefly given a scare by Rovers.

Olly McKenzie, the new island left-back, put Geoff Tardif's team a goal up after 18 minutes and Antony Saunders soon doubled their advantage as he got on the end of a McKenzie cross.

Plucky Rovers netted twice in 10 minutes to be level at the break, but Kyle Stone restored the home side's advantage just after half-time and thereafter the visitors' wheels fell off.

Dave Rihoy finished a good move to make it 4-2 and after Saunders had netted his second from the spot Rihoy's 20-yarder concluded an ultimately straightforward win for the league's most entertaining side.

At the Track Rangers were soon benefitting from a short break in the island by Dale Garland.

Within two minutes of the start his old track relay team-mate, Matt Bailey, had put him in and Garland, with his first touch of the match, rifled a low drive across Rhys Gower and into the far corner.

Garland might have doubled Rangers' lead 10 minutes later, but Gower did well to save with his legs and slowly Bels got a foothold in the game as Mac Gallienne's team suffered for playing far too deep.

Darragh Duffy hit the crossbar and then just before half-time Mark Ramsden swung over a cross and Marc McGrath claimed to have got his head onto the ball, although from 50 yards away it looked mightily likely that defender Matt Hutchison may have got the last touch with his head.

Bels ultimately won the game with two goals within 10 minutes of the resumption.

McGrath finished off neatly after Duffy's initial effort had been charged down and fallen into his strike colleague's path, and Duffy headed the third as he stole in front of a sleepy Chris Parrott in the Rangers goal at the near post.

Rangers were invigorated, though, by a string of substitutions and a squeezing of the play.

Bailey fired a 20-yarder wide, missed another great chance and Garland also missed two great opportunities in quick succession.

At the other end Duffy hit the woodwork for the second time, but Bels had lost their grip and had to endure a nervous last few minutes as skipper Dave Parrott stole in unmarked to tuck away Paul Machon's free-kick from out on the right to make it 3-2.

In the other semi-final St Martin's, the holders, will play Vale Rec. Both ties are to be played on 10 November.