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Team
Line Up
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1.
Chris Day
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32. Stephen Kelly
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5. Clarke Carlisle
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6. Danny Shittu 
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3. Gino Padula
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9. Richard Langley
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8. Marc Bircham 
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4. Steve Palmer (c)
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15. Kevin McLeod
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10. Kevin Gallen
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29. Paul Furlong
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| Subs |
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| 13. Nick Culkin |
| 7. Matthew Rose |
| 24. Richard Pacquette |
| 27. Andy Thomson |
| 33. Tommy Williams |
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it was with great disappointment
that I missed out on this big West London Derby against Brentford.
Tickets were like gold dust and despite Brentford struggling to
sell enough tickets they refused to allow Rangers to have more tickets.
So I had to listen to the game on BBC London Live and dream of being
a few miles down the road seeing the team in action.
So here's a match report from
the Rangers Till I die Web site at http://www.rtid.co.uk written
by Tony Johnson
Rangers left it very late but
ran out deserved winners to kept the promotion bandwagon rolling
on.
The same side again started
the game and although we began a little sluggishly, it wasn't long
before we took control and Shittu headed home Padula's corner at
the far post unchallenged. Brentford had no real answer to our passing
game although they worked hard to try and close us down.
At the back, Carlisle was excellent,
perhaps his best game of the season as he seems to be getting back
to his own high standards and the home side really created very
little despite all their huff and puff.
Defensively we looked very solid
with the occasional exception of Day who again seemed to punch the
ball rather than catch it and flapped at a couple of crosses.
Meanwhile, up front Furlong
was proving a handful for the Bees defenders but Gallen wasn't at
his best. Langley and McCleod were looking dangerous, with both
players winning a lot balls in the air.
The home side only looked like
getting back into it a couple of times. The first when the ball
skimmed off Shittu's head for Day to react well and push round the
post and the second when the referee for once didn't give a decision
to the home side after a blatant dive in our box, booking the Brentford
player instead.
Rangers eased off a bit with
the knowledge of another game in a couple of days but it was clear
that we could always step up a gear if we needed to. Second half
and we seemed content to sit back and keep it tight at the back,
relying on counter attacks to get us a second goal to seal the three
points.
Bircham picked up a pointless
booking from the hopeless referee who by now was giving everything
to Brentford in an effort to get them back in the game. This will
mean he will miss the Colchester game and the first playoff game
if we get there.
We created some good chances
as Brentford pushed forward, with Langley and McLeod always looking
likely to create something. Langley beat two men on the right, cut
in along the byeline and pulled the ball back for the waiting Furlong
whose shot was cleared off the line.
Langley also put Kelly through
and the young fullback came agonisingly close with a lovely curling
shot round the keeper that just went the wrong side of the post.
Disaster then struck when O'Connor
wasn't challenged outside the box and he headed through for Peters
to equalise.
The game then burst into life
as we stepped up a gear in a attempt to restore the lead as the
home side were themselves looking for an unlikely win.
We had two more attempts cleared
off the line Brentford hit the post from which we surged up the
pitch to win a free kick just ouside the box. McLeod's excellent
curling shot hit the angle of bar and post with the keeper beaten.
Then, just at the 90 minutes
were up we forced yet another corner. Padula took it, the ball was
half cleared to Bircham on the left side of the box who had time
to volley superbly into the top corner.
Pandemonium ensued on the away
terrace for the second succesive away game as we won it at the death.
Tremendous stuff.
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