Just as everyone was about to give up at the Recreation Ground the Rangers squad eventually decided to turn up for the game. Trouble on the M3 caused a 30 minute kick off delay and the massed throng (of about 30) who braved the brass knuckle conditions were relieved to finally see a Rangers team, with a fairly even mix of first team squad and youth, head onto the pitch this Tuesday evening.
Playing a straight 4-4-2, Rangers seemed willing to attack from the off, with both Richard Pacquette and Paul Furlong having chances they should have done better with. Little were they to know that these would probably be their only shots for the rest of the game, and Aldershot were the team to take the lead. The midfield was beginning to be dominated by the home side and a long ball over from the right found an unmarked Aaron McLean on hand to nod in at the far post.
Centre backs Johnson and Fletcher were finding McLean's pace and movement difficult to deal with and he began to look easily the best player on the pitch. However, on 37 minutes a shock run by Sabin won himself a bit of space and after beating a defender, he calmly blasted the ball past a static keeper for Rangers to go in at half time with the scores level.
The second half started much the same, and Aldershot's ploy of playing 3 at the back and flooding the midfield secured them the victory. The ball was slotted neatly through to McLean who "brushed" past his marker and pulled the ball back for Michael Harper to tap home.
Our midfield in contrast, failed time and again to get the ball to Furlong, and when Pacquette found himself with the ball he seemed uninterested in finding his strike partner. Rose seemed off the pace (understandable after a lengthy lay off) and Sabin continually lost control of the ball before he could attempt a pass.
Wes Daly moved into the middle late on as Marien Ifura and George Smee came on for the tiring young midfielders Coke and Farr. Ifura tightened the defence a little as Ryan Johnson moved out wide to right back. But the game was lost in the middle. Sabin continued to cut inside when using width would have been more appropriate and Pacquette was more interested in moaning at the youngsters for not giving him the perfect ball than encouraging them.
Realistically there are some good youngsters in this side, but they lacked the cohesion that experience can bring and I wonder if we would be better employing Steve Palmer to help bring them on a little now that his first team days are numbered. The incisive edge that McLean's polished performance gave the Shots was enough to undo the R's defence today and if Olly is looking for a non league striker to nurture, he would do well to visit the Recreation ground one afternoon. Preferably a warmer one though.
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