ELLESMERE’S biggest crowd of the season of over 300 witnessed them make history by winning promotion to the Midland Alliance League.
The day started with a huge effort by Ellesmere Rangers committee members in putting on a hospitality pre-match buffet for all sponsors and their guests in thanking them for all their support throughout the season which proved to be a big success.
Saturday’s game itself saw Ellesmere Rangers take on last year’s league title winners, Wulfrunians, in the final match of the season, a game that the Rangers had to win to be sure of the league title and promotion to the Midland Alliance League
Rangers started brightly and when Gary Meredeth was brought down in the penalty area after only three minutes it gave the league’s top scorer, Danny Barton, the chance to further extend his scoring record. This was done with confidence as he drove the ball into the net to give the Rangers an early lead.
Moments later, following a corner, the Rangers’ appeal for a goal fell on deaf ears as the referee and linesman waved away the protests, insisting that the ball had not crossed the line. Heartened by this the Wulfrunians piled on the pressure to equalise and on the half hour mark centre forward Anslow found the net past the frustrated Ellesmere ’keeper Mulliner to level the scores and frustrate the Ellesmere title challenge.
The second half saw the Rangers start more brightly and within minutes both Barton and Meredeth had gone close, but the Wulfs had no intention of giving anyone an easy route to the title and put in huge amounts of effort to thwart Rangers’ title challenge coming close to finding the net themselves on a couple of occasions
The game swung end to end until on the hour mark Chris Catherall was brought on to replace Andy Reeve on the left. His first touch of the ball was to launch a throw in into the box to find the head of Meredeth who looped the ball into the net to put the Rangers once more into the lead.
The Wulfs piled on the pressure for a period and some resolute defending kept them out and the final whistle saw Ellesmere Rangers get the three points that they needed to get the championship and promotion that they have worked so hard for over the season