Match Report: Round 11 vs West Coast Rangers FC
Dettol Northern League Round 11 Match Report: West Coast Rangers vs East Coast Bays, Fred Taylor Park, Friday 23rd May 2025.
Well Earned vital win on the Road in Six Pointer Game
After a recent pair of home games, Bays were on the road with a match out at Fred Taylor Park under the lights on a cool and chilly Friday night. One change to the starting line up with Nathan coming in and Matt dropping to the substitutes bench. And even though the NRFL website had former Bays player Josh Jones in the starting line up Josh was injured and did not play.
Bays started off brightly with Guy & Liam linking up well down the right wing. The cross in was blocked and unfortunately came back off Liam for a goal kick. On the other foot the ball was given away in midfield and a right foot shot by Durkin was comfortably saved low down by Louie. Nathan found Orlando who set up James Elder and his right foot shot beat both the keeper & the right post. After only ten minutes gone Orlando was shown a yellow card for a tackle from behind. Damion did a nice twist & turn and beat his defender before being brought down in an identical foul to Orlando’s foul. But for some reason no yellow card was shown this time.
Liam then went on a run down the right wing, played a one two with Orlando, and crossed across the box. It looked like the cross had missed all the Bays players, but Billy caught it sweet with his left foot and his half volley was pushed around the post with a brilliant save by Rangers keeper, Damian Hirst. Another ball forward saw James Elder turn and his right foot shot was just over the crossbar. Down the other end of the pitch a ball in from the right wing saw a nasty head clash between Adam & Death. Luckily both players recovered fairly quickly to carry on playing.
The opening goal of the match came in the 20th minute with a break from one end of the field to the other. James Edgeler only just got his pass away from a lunging attacker and this found Liam. Junior played another one two with Orlando and then chipped the ball forward over the Rangers defence. Guy shrugged off his defender and broke forward before crossing into the middle for James Elder to strike past the keeper first time. Excellent build up and excellent team goal. After twenty minutes gone the score was West Coast Rangers 0 East Coast Bays 1.
Rangers tried to strike back straight away. First up, Lee broke down the left wing and his cross was blocked for a corner. Butterfill’s corner was curling in under the crossbar before Louie pushed it over the bar. The next corner to the back post saw a turn by Drymond and a shot over the crossbar. Rangers were guilty of a number of niggly fouls but no yellow cards brandished by the referee. After one poor foul Billy reacted to this and pushed over a Rangers player to earn himself a yellow card. Orlando tried his luck from long range from the free kick, but it went wide of the right-hand post.
Bays were forced to make a change after only 30 minutes gone when Damion couldn’t continue because of injury and had to be replaced by Ryusei. Rangers were on a fast break and Billy was a bit lucky not to be shown a second yellow card when holding back one of the Rangers attackers. The free kick into the box was headed over by Buckingham. Orlando then played Liam through and his snapshot was saved at close range. Nathan & Ryusei then linked up and a cross was blocked for a corner. Another Rangers free kick into the box by Burfoot found Drymond and after he scuffed a shot the offside flag was raised by the assistant referee on the far side of the field.
Guy won the ball midway between halfway and the Rangers goal and broke forward. He set up James Elder for a shot that was saved for a corner. Jacks corner to the back post was cleared away. Billy then tried his luck from long range with a right footer that went just wide. Yet another foul by Mahuea lead to a free kick by Orlando that James Elder kicked into a defender before it was cleared.
The half time whistle went, and Bays were good value for their lead. They probably should have been two or three ahead, but the half time score read West Coast Rangers 0 East Coast Bays 1. Rangers were slow to get going and only really had half chances in the first half of the game. Orlando had been warned about his fouls by the referee, after his early yellow card, but Joe didn’t take any risks and took Orlando off at half time, with Moses replacing him. Rangers also made a change at the break with Armitt coming on.
The second half started off with a West Coast Rangers corner that was headed out by Jack and a volley hit another Rangers player and went out for a goal kick. James Elder robbed one of the Rangers defenders of the ball before setting up Ryusei for a weak shot that went straight to the keeper. Liam then put through James Elder through, but his right foot shot beat the post as well as the keeper. Rangers showed their intent to get back in the game with a triple change in the 57th minute with Gallagher, Abrahaberhe & Pearce all coming on for Lee, Death & Durkin.
Bays then doubled their lead when Billy played a great through ball from just inside the Rangers half straight down the middle. Guy side stepped his defender to give himself a better angle to shoot and placed a great right footed shot past Hurst to make the score West Coast Rangers 0 East Coast Bays 2 in the 60th minute. Another through ball saw Ryusei in the box and after beating a couple of defenders Ryusei was brought down but no penalty was given. Buckingham then tried a very audacious long range shot from around halfway that was on target but straight at Louie. A cross in from the right-hand side found Pearce but he shot straight at Louie as well.
Adam then gave a free kick away just outside the box for a push on a forward. Butterfill sent the free kick over the wall that was punched clear by Louie. Billy then played the ball in from the right wing and James Elder played the ball across to Ryusei. The pass was intercepted before Ryusei had a chance to line up a shot. Bays then replaced James Elder, who had run his socks off, with Matt in the 76th minute. In the 80th minute Armitt made a break down the right wing and played the ball back to Pearce. His shot was saved by Louie, but the rebound was headed home by Newman who was coming back from an offside position. The referee consulted with the assistant referee and the goal stood even though Newman was off the pitch when the initial shot by Pearce was taken.
After 80 minutes the score now read West Coast Rangers 1 East Coast Bays 2 and Bays were in for a nervous last 10 minutes. With 5 minutes of normal time left Rangers made their last change with Elliott coming on for Mahuea. Ryusei then intercepted a crossfield pass and tried to play in Guy. But the final ball was just a bit too far out of reach. Rangers then had a fast break with Butterfill playing in Abrahaberhe and he set up Pearce for a right foot drive that went wide. Billy set up Moses for a turn & shot that went straight to the keeper and then two minutes later Moses had a second chance with a left foot drive that went wide.
Shortly after, the final whistle went, and Bays had hung on for a crucial win and a crucial three points. Final score read West Coast Rangers 1 East Coast Bays 2 and for a short time Bays moved up one more position in the table. Bays were well worthy of their win after a slow start to the game by Rangers and took their chances very well. Rangers were guilty of around 60 fouls in the game and yet the referee didn’t even issue them a single yellow card. Guy was awarded the Bays player of the match. This weekend sees a double header of games with an away game against league leaders Birkenhead at Shepherds Park on Friday night (7.30pm kick off) and then on Monday Bays play Western Springs at Bay City Park in the Chatham Cup (2.00pm kick off). See you there.
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Final Score: West Coast Rangers 1 vs East Coast Bays 2
West Coast Rangers: D Hirst, D Buckingham, R Drymond, Z Newman, S Burfoot, D McDowall, K Lee, A Death, J Butterfill, T Durkin, I Mahuea
Subs: J Armitt 46, B Gallagher + M Abrahaberhe + A Pearce 57, J Elliott 81
East Coast Bays: L Caunter, N Maisey, J Edgeler (M Matanyayire 76), A Huskic, J Elder, O Thorpe (M Akimana 46), D Kim (R Ishibashi 30), GFE Penda, B Jones, L Andersen, J Caunter
Goals: West Coast Rangers: Z Newman 80
East Coast Bays: J Elder 20, GFE Penda 60
