from www.qprnet.com

FOUR NIL TO THE ELEMENTS
Rangers battled back from a two goal half time deficit to grab a share of the spoils in a windswept encounter against Tony Adams' Wycombe Wanderers. This game had little to do with football though and everything to do with the weather as the howling gale turned the game into an absolute farce.

Holloway was forced into a change of line up and formation following Matthew Rose's failure to overcome the injury picked up against Wrexham in midweek. Olly decided to go with the 3-5-2 formation that had done so well in the second period on Tuesday night. Camp was in goal with the back three of Forbes, Carlisle and Gnohere in front of him. The midfield was Rowlands, Johnson, Bircham and McLeod, with Gallen sitting just in front of them. Thorpe returned to the starting XI to partner Furlong. There were also welcome returns to the bench for Chris Day and Richard Edghill.

It was clear from the off that the team with the wind would dominate each half. Wycombe had that advantage in the first period and played a series of wind assisted balls for the lightening quick Nathan Tyson to run onto. Indeed it was Tyson that had Wycombe's first effort of the game when he fired harmlessly across the face of goal after his pace had carried him clear of the back three. Rangers were clearly struggling with the wind and by the time Wycombe took the lead there had not been a goal scoring chance worthy of the description.

The opener when it came was courtesy of a wind assisted punt that Tyson latched onto. He had managed to wriggle free of the back three and looked suspiciously offside when he did so. With his pace and the strength of the wind though it was impossible to say for sure and the danger seemed to have been averted when Forbes got a brilliant challenge in as Tyson prepared to shoot. Luck was not with Forbes though and the ball rolled into the path of the grateful Matt Bloomfield who rammed the ball home.

Four minutes later Wycombe made it two with Tyson once again the architect. He picked up another long through ball and left Carlisle for dead. He squared the ball to the unmarked Craig Faulconbridge and he nipped in ahead of Camp to turn the ball into the net. The R's defence had been cut to ribbons by Tyson yet again and the back three were trying to hold a line that looked like a dog's hind leg. One was up, the other was back and god only knows what happened to the third one!

Bircham finally managed to register a shot on target for Rangers with a tame effort from outside the box. At the other end the games crucial moment unfolded as Carlisle and Tyson tangled for a high ball. Tyson went to ground under the challenge and as the ref blew the whistle for the freekick Carlisle had one more nibble at the ball. Tyson reacted by getting off of the floor and aiming a forearm smash at Carlisle's head. It was as clear a red card offence as I have seen this season, yet referee Atkinson showed only a yellow to both parties. Carlisle may have deserved this for seemingly carrying on play after the whistle but to only book Tyson for raising his hands was a joke.

Olly changed things at half time and switched to a 4-4-2 formation, with Forbes the man to be replaced by Edghill. Edgy slotted in at left back with Rowlands on the right and Rangers immediately reaped the rewards. Tony Thorpe managed to smuggle the ball into Gallen who controlled brilliantly before dinking it past Steve Williams to bring his team back into the game with less than a minute of the half gone.

The wind seemed to be getting stronger and this certainly wasn't helping the Wycombe defensive cause. They simply could not clear the ball past the halfway line for the early stages of the half and the Rangers confidence was visibly growing by the minute. The equaliser finally came with a little under twenty minutes left to play and it was the streakiest goal Martin Rowlands is ever likely to score.

Rowly collected the ball on the right touchline and looked up to pick his target in the box. His cross was collected by the wind and sailed over Williams' head before dropping into the far corner of the net. You had to feel sorry for the prone keeper as there was nothing he could do to prevent Rangers' flukiest goal of the season so far.

It was all hands to the pump for Wycombe now and to their credit they did manage to break out on a couple of occasions to use the pace of Tyson on the counter attack. One weaving run should have brought a goal for Danny Senda but the midfielder snatched at his shot when well placed and Camp saved with ease. At the other end Gallen was now pulling strings and trying to inspire his men to go on and take the victory.

Firstly he fired in a stinging freekick that Williams turned away and then he hammered a wind assisted pile driver at goal that was equally well saved. Williams had also saved bravely at Gallen's feet in the meantime and taken a whack on the bugle for his trouble. The final chance of the game fell the way of Tony Thorpe as he was played through for a one on one chance against Williams. Thorpe toe poked his shot and it looked to have gone though the keeper's legs before he somehow managed to stop it from going in. He would have been unlucky to have ended up on the losing side after turning in a heroic display in appalling conditions.

Results went our way so this draw is not the end of the world. The scoreline may have read 2-2 but it should really read 4-0 to the wind as football was secondary in proceedings. I have no doubt in my mind that on a normal day we would have cut Wycombe to ribbons time and again but there was simply no chance for that to happen. I would have been quite happy to see the ref abandon this one as it is not fair on the players or the fans to have to put up with playing or watching a game like that.

Fair play to Wycombe though, they battled hard and in keeper Williams they had a man that would not let the conditions get the better of him. He kept goal brilliantly in the face of a brutal Rangers onslaught and he can rightfully be proud of his showing. Rangers can also be fairly pleased with what they did considering the conditions. They failed to get to grips with it in the first half but I can't criticise them for that.

A home game against the charming folk of Luton is next up for Rangers and if we can pick up where we left off against Wrexham in midweek and put this joke of a match out of our minds then we will be set fair. It is another must win game and Luton will be up for it as they are still bitter and hate filled regarding the Thorpe transfer. Winner for the Thorpedo anyone?