Rangers ran out comfortbale winners at Harrow Borough on Tuesday.

Match report from www.qprnet.com

Rangers ran out comfortable 3-0 winners against Harrow Borough at Earlsmead on Tuesday evening. In truth the game was something of a mismatch and the home side rarely threatened the R’s defence.

Gregory started with Camp in goal behind a back four of Rehman, Mancienne, Stewart and Curtis. Moore, Walton, Rowlands and trialist Simmonds were in midfield with Sahar and Nygaard up top.

There was another full XI on the bench and all of them would play some part. Rangers set the pace early on and forced a succession of corners as Borough struggled to clear their lines. Unfortunately none of Rowlands’ deliveries ended with the keeper being tested. Chelsea trialist James Simmonds was looking lively on the left flank although he is blatantly right footed. A few grass cutters with his left foot went into the box but didn’t really come to anything.

Nygaard should have done better when good interplay saw him fed into the box. He tried to tiptoe his way round three defenders rather than just putting his foot through it when the chance presented itself and the chance went begging. Gregory was being extremely vocal on the touchline and from our vantage point near the dugouts it made for some interesting listening. He really does wear his heart on his sleeve and seems to enjoy the banter with the crowd.

Simmonds had a blast at goal, after cutting in on his right foot, and the home keeper did well to parry the effort to safety. He wasn’t afforded such a chance shortly before halftime when Rangers took the lead with a beauty from Nygaard. Having already been berated by Gregory for allowing the centre half easy headers Nygaard won one and flicked it toward Moore on the right flank. He took the ball down and eventually fed it back to Nygaard who took aim and clouted it into the top corner. It was great finish from the big Dane, had he been so decisive earlier in the game then this would have been number two.

Gregory made a couple of changes at the break. Camp got a chance to sit down, truth be told he probably could have had a sit down in the first half so routine was his work. Cole came on in his place. The other change saw Bolder replace Rowlands. Rowly had been steaming around like a madman in the middle of the park but had looked solid in the tackle and looked to create when he got the ball.

Cole was called into action early doors as a moment of hesitation at the heart of the R’s defence allowed one of the home strikers the chance to burst through on goal. Cole spotted the danger quickly though and came flying off his line to save bravely at the strikers feet.

As was the case for most of the first half, Rangers were in the ascendancy. Simmonds cracked a fizzing volley over the bar via a defenders foot as he continued to look busy in his trial game. He seemed a bit disappointed when he eventually came off but I would like to think he did enough at least to get a chance to hang about and train a while longer, perhaps get a run out for the reserves.

Rangers’ second goal arrived in the midst of a host of Rangers substitutions. A ball into the box from the left wasn’t cleared properly and it fell to Bolder who steadied himself before steering a neat left footed finish past the keeper from inside the D. The raft of subs had unsettled the side a little by now and the home side finally managed to have a little flurry of action around the R’s box.

Cole was called on to make a couple of routine saves and he looked assured as he did so. The third goal wasn’t long in coming and again the move emanated from the left. This time a ball was fed into sub Nardiello and he in turn shifted it into the path of Baidoo on the right flank. He slotted a cool left footed finish past the helpless Harrow keeper.

The home side did manage to find the net late in the game only to see the lino flagging for offside. Cole had made a fine save from the original effort only to see the rebound tapped home.

I am not sure that Gregory will have learned an awful lot from this one such was the gulf between the sides. I think had we been playing a better side then he certainly wouldn’t have changed every single player on the pitch, I certainly don’t expect that to happen against Fulham on Friday.

Team: Camp (Cole), Rehmann (Shimmin), Mancienne (Bignot), Stewart (Timoska), Curtis (Barker), Simmonds (St Aimee), Walton (Bailey), Rowlands (Bolder), Moore (Baidoo), Sahar (Nardiello), Nygaard (Blackstock)