Important win for Rangers

Press, 24 July 1985, Page 8

Important win for Rangers

Hurricane Rangers capitalised on shoddy defensive work bv Cockram Nissan Shamrock to move eight points clear in the Hertz Soccer League with a 2-1 win at English Park last evening. Shamrock, lying second in the table, will rue the slip-uns seven minutes before halftime, and eight minutes after the break, which enabled Rangers to take a winning lead. Not a single Shamrock defender moved to intercept the accurate, curling free-kick from the right by the Rangers midfielder, Stuart Chalmers. John Boatwood took full advantage and firmly headed the ball into the net from six metres to open the scoring. Early in the second half, Chalmer hit the post with another free-kick, and Simon Myers turned smartly to force a fine save from the Shamrock Neville Petrie.

The decisive goal came when the Shamrock defender, Ron Bitschkat, failed to clear the bail, Boatwood raced on to it and, after Petrie had partly block the first shot, rammed the ball into an open goal. Shamrock produced some impressive soccer going forward but lacked an in-form finisher in front of goal. It’s only consolation came in the last minute when the referee, George Burns, awarded a penalty against James Margaritis for hand ball. Bitshkat scored from the penalty spot. In the premier league cur-tain-raiser, Burndale United was surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by the bottom-placed Western. Burndale took a controversial lead in the second half, through Geoff Hakwer, although a Burndale player seemed to be in an off-side position. Western deservedly equalised through Mark Hilhorst.