TT No.24: Richard Panter - Tues 21st August 2007; Hathern v Dunton & Broughton Rangers;           Beacon Bitter League Cup Division One Section; Res: 3 - 4; Att: (15 h/c); Entry: Free; Programme: No;     Match rating: 4 stars. 

 
It was off down to Pasture Lane, (well documented in this site's concise index) at 5.55pm for a 6 o'clock kick off as there are no floodlights at the ground. Even at this early hour the evening gloom was increasing at the end of what had been a drab, drizzly and windy day. The prospect of extra time and penalty kicks seemed remote in the extreme. If the start time was a bit of a rush for the home side it was far more so for the visitors from the south of the county. Based in Dunton Bassett on the very edge of the M1, but midway between the eleven miles which seperates junctions 20 and 21 of this autoroute, it was doubtless a scramble for the team to get there on time. Well almost on time as the match started at 6.07pm prompt!
 
Rangers were promoted as champions of the Leicester and District league last season, Hathern were embarking on their second season in the Leicestershire Senior League's first division so this cup tie was hard to call. This fixture was in fact from the second round of this year's competition, but I have not been able to trace any results from the previous round, I was told that all competitors enjoyed a bye in the first! I was further reliably informed that the cup is split into two sections, premier clubs and first division ones, until the quarter final stage. Thereafter the superior four enjoy home advantage by dint of having floodlights. What would then happen if the four lower (non-illuminated) clubs win through is open to question. This does seem a somewhat bizzare way way to run a knockout competition.  
 
It took the best part of half an hour for the scoring to open and when it did there was a certain harshness about it. Hathern were given a penalty for handball when a shot in the box hit a Rangers hand. Stygian in its severity. Unfazed by this Jason Lee strolled up to slot home. In the following minute the home side hit the post and blasted wide before Rangers struck back after Tom Line found himself unmarked in the Hathern six yard box to nod home. Jamie Newbold robbed a defender of the ball and outpaced the visiting defence to regain the lead for Hathern to close a breathless first half.
 
Dickie Minto put Hathern further in front in the 66th minute and as darkness descended it looked all up for Rangers. However, they still kept at their task and were rewarded by seeing their man-of-the-match, Tom Line, blast home his second from eighteen yards. At this point the bald-pated Hathern stand-in manager Dave Insley was tearing his hair in as he saw his side spurn two more fine chances to score again. A minute from time the inevitable happened as Dunton's Dave Brockley scored from a deflection and we looked to be heading for extra time, or probably just a penalty kick competition due to the darkness. With the last kick of the match Rangers went a stage further when one of their number rounded Adrian Snewin in the home goal to deservedly nick the winner.
 
Thuis was a wonderful match. These two clubs on the edge of the non-league pyramid matched each other for pace, skill and effort in a fairly fought match with no dissent or any bad tackles. Unusually, there were no bookings. Hathern went up the Three Crowns to lick their wounds and Rangers headed home after ultimately emerging as deserved winners of this exciting match, good luck to them in the third round, or should the be the fourth or fifth!  

contributed on 22/08/07