A rearranged Gary Fowell Builders Plains Rangers team played some good football on Saturday, but couldn't quite grab the points.
Rangers traveled to play Tauranga City with a new look centre back pairing and a new forward line. The home team caught Rangers on the hop in the early minutes, before the new combinations had settled in. A long ball through the middle paid dividends and City were 1 - 0 up after ten minutes. Rangers gradually settled into a pattern of short passing and started playing some nice football. An excellent cross from Nestor Rocha found Ben McPherson on the far post. His header wrong footed the defence, but unluckily bounced away off the post and was cleared. Late in the half City scored from a goal mouth scramble following a corner.
At half time Rangers were positive, knowing they were playing well. Rangers controlled a lot of the play in the second half, but without too many telling balls into the box. Centre defenders Jeff Krause and Tom Davison were coping well with the home team attacks, and right back Ben Fretwell was pressing forward when the opportunities came. With ten minutes to go, a lovely pass from Nicolas Gomez put winger Ben McPherson through and he drew the keeper and scored a well taken goal. Rangers kept the pressure up over the exciting final minutes, but City survived. The final score Tauranga City 2 Plains Rangers 1.
While it was a loss, Rangers will have been encouraged by the positive football they played. They adjusted to the loss of captain Jeremy Hawkes, out injured for the rest of the season. Stand in captain Richie Nillesen led by example in the centre midfield, and player of the day Tom Davison organised the defence well.
This Saturday Rangers are at home to Old Blues, kick off at 2.30pm at Awakeri.