AFTER the superb performance in midweek in winning the Shropshire Challenge Cup at Shrewsbury’s Prostar Stadium against Market Drayton, many Rangers supporters feared that they would not be able to produce another good performance in Saturday’s game against Ledbury.
However, manager Matt Burton was able to start the same 11 that beat Market Drayton so convincingly and the team simply carried on as they had finished.
Within the first minute clever interplay between Nathan Leonard and Ian Rowlands produced a cut back from Rowlands that Danny Barton dispatched with ease only to see the flag raised for offside.
Not to be denied, Rangers remained calm and the next 15 minutes saw them produce three goals, – top scorer Barton from a Andy Reeve corner, Gary Meredeth with a bullet header from another Reeve cross, and Eddie Hope cleverly slotting in a third a few minutes later.
On the half hour the Meredeth-Barton duo again worked wonders when Meredeth put Barton in for Ellesmere’s fourth.
Rangers had another goal by Hope disallowed soon after. Then shortly before half time Ledbury had their first meaningful attack that resulted in a shot that was dealt with relative ease by ’keeper Mulliner.
Soon after the restart Burton made several substitutions and for a period unsettled the Rangers and allowed Ledbury to enjoy their best period of the game. However, from a clearance, the ball found its way to the far post and Craig Farr headed it back across the goal for Barton to complete his hat-trick.
From the restart, Ledbury then scored what was probably the goal of the game when Joel Skyers found space 20 yards out and curled the ball into the Ellesmere goal. Any hope of a Ledbury revival was soon lost when Kenny Paul was put through on goal but was brought down, giving the referee no option but to send the ’keeper off
In the remaining 20 minutes Rangers managed a further three goals – Barton with his fourth after a diagonal cross from Matt Jones, Kenny Paul robbed a defender and drove the ball low into the net past the despairing substitute ’keeper and in the dying moments Matt Jones drove through to put Ellesmere’s eighth goal past the luckless Ledbury Town
On Thursday, Ellesmere are away to Bewdley Town with a 7.45pm kick off.
On Saturday, they are away to Darlaston Town with a 3pm kick off.