"The best team we've played this season" was the description of Gary Fowell Builders Plains Rangers by the Otumoetai captain, after Rangers demolished his team 7 - 2 at the Edgecumbe Domain on Saturday.
The domain was in surprisingly good condition after hours of rain as the teams started the last game in the first round of BOP division two. Rangers put together some excellent football in the first half, passing the ball around sweetly. The home team struck early, left winger Jeremy Hawkes pulling the ball across goal for Josh Hyndman who blasted the ball home from a tight angle. A great ball from captain Richie Nillesen put Dylan Arthur through on the Otumoetai goal and he also took his chance well. A Nillesen freekick found Hyndman, who put the ball away to have Rangers leading 3 - 0 after 20 minutes. The half was rounded off by a Simon Gowing cutback which gave Aaron Muggeridge plenty of goal to aim at and he steered it home.
Rangers didn't quite have the same flow in the second half as a number of substitutions and injuries caused quite a reshuffle as the half went on. They did make a good start when substitute Ben McPherson laid the ball across goal for Gowing to score. Otumoetai, to their credit never stopped trying and were rewarded when their right winger did well and squared the ball across and it was put away in style. Rangers struck back, with Arthur getting on the end of the free kick a putting a low header into the goal. The visitors again replied, seizing on a loose pass and scoring with a nice shot. Rangers finished their scoring when Arthur got to the ball in front of the Otumoetai goal and delighted his team mates by back heeling it in. The final score: Plains Rangers 7, Otumoetai 2.
Dylan Arthur was named player of the day for his hat-trick. Excellent performances were also produced by Hyndman, Muggeridge and Nillesen. Rangers will now wait to see the draw for the second round, but will strive to keep their momentum going.