Match Report

League - Saturday 20th January 2007

Harborough Triumphant against Rangers

Market Harborough 5 Coalville Rangers 0

Market Harborough A continued a fine run of form that has seen them concede one goal in the last three games. Rangers must be sick and tired of Harborough, the B team making it a clean sweep and no goals against earlier in the day.

The game started brightly, matching the sunshine, and warmed up considerably midway through the first half, unlike the spectators, feeling cold as ice in the stiff winter breeze. Harborough had had most of the possession with Rangers rarely able to keep the ball in attack. Indeed the majority of the time Rangers were in an attacking position was due to Mark Pennifold’s early inability to keep the ball in play. A few stern words with himself, and he soon corrected that error.

It mattered not as Rangers continually gave away short corners, and 20 minutes in Paul Moorhouse duly converted one of these chances. Rangers nearly got back in it, the Harborough defence leaving captain Rob Smith Superstar to cry for help, but ‘keeper Baz Liddle was saved by the post. Again, Paul Moorhouse, whose driving runs in the middle terrorised the Rangers defence, not only won a short corner, but converted it to. 2-0 at half time, just as it was in the Cup fixture earlier this season.

However, with no subs (does this humble spectator scare them away?) and the terrible imminence of that second half whistle, Harborough ran true to form and slumped at the beginning of the second period. While Ellie Hand was running rings round her opposite number, the final ball often amounted to little in the end, and the short corners won were too often wasted, leaving the team in a dilemma. Defend deeper, or go on the attack? 15 minutes in, we had our answer from the lethal Rob Smith Superstar himself, who took it upon
himself to make it 3-0 from a short corner. Moments later he hit the post, and the tide was turned, Harborough coming out to play as the sunshine waned and the wind whistled.

Of course, it was a league game, and therefore the profligate Tim “he shoots, he scores” Chapman had the last laugh. While his first may have left the Rangers ‘keeper with arms wide open in disbelief at a deflection, the second was simply the best goal of the day, Chapman racing through all comers, rounding the ‘keeper and gently sliding home for his second, and Harborough’s fifth. Rangers had a short corner at the very death, for which they brought every player up, but Baz Liddle’s defence held strong to give him only his fourth clean sheet, but his second in two games.


Gk -  Baz Liddle
Men -  Rob Smith (Capt), Tim Chapman, Bobby Read, Paul Moorhouse & Mark Pennifold
Ladies -  Ellie Hand, Lauren Hand, Alice Philips, Anna Birch & Lisa Coe


MOM – Paul Moorhouse/Bobby Read


From Darryl Gillard