STAFFORD Rangers Youth beat the weather as they chalked up an excellent 5-1 County Minor Youth League premier cup win at Crewe on Sunday.
Tom Vaughan’s through ball found Billy Thorley whose pass left Sam Golden an easy tap-in at the far post. Harry Wightman, who was dominant at the back, then headed over from a corner, and Thorley had his rasping drive tipped over by the keeper.
Alex Curtis’ mazy run ended with his shot coming back off a post with predator Golden on hand to double the lead.
Soccer Centre then came back into the game, hitting the crossbar with a header and forcing keeper Wes Hopwood into a fine one-on-one
save. Some justice was done when the Soccer Centre scored just before the interval.
Any nerves of a revival were eased as Thorley’s direct run from the centre saw him finish smartly in the corner with several spectators not yet returned from their half-time cuppa.
Rangers were in the ascendency and Sam Marsden’s run down the flank ended with the keeper saving Thorley’s shot and Alex Hannan finished the best move of the match.
Alex Curtis finished the scoring from a tight angle. To their credit, Soccer Centre finished strongly and could have had more than the soli- tary goal.
Rangers were able to get some cobwebs out of the system and still progress to the semi-final of the cup, but the co-operation of the Crewe team to get the match played should get the plaudits.
