Trojans win top-of-the-table football battle
Rangers Reserves' player Sam Grono surges into the Trojans penalty area. Photos Peter Jones.
Trojans AFC are clear leaders at the top of the Marlborough football senior men’s open grade points table after edging past second-placed Rangers Reserves 2-1 at A&P Park on Saturday.
The battle of the two top sides lived up to its billing, a free-flowing match eventuating, with chances aplenty at either end, but just three goals being scored.
The match was scoreless at halftime, but Rangers struck soon after the break when Sam Grono was fouled in the area. Campbell Ferguson stepped up and calmly buried resulting penalty.
However, it did not take Trojans long to equalise, then go ahead. Firstly, prolific striker Francisco Zimmermann made the most of a failure by the Reserves to clear their area, prodding the ball home, then, in the 78th minute, substitute Livison Madumira was on hand to deliver the coup de grace after another goalmouth scramble.
In other results: Rangers City beat Renwick 4-0, Rangers Athletic drew 3-3 with Central FC, BV Masters downed Trojans Spartans 5-3, Rangers Colts eased past Trojans Strikers 2-0, Rangers Masters eclipsed Central Wolves 4-1 and Trojans Angels got the better of Picton 2-0.
Standings after 10 rounds: Trojans AFC 30, Rangers Reserves 25, Rangers Athletic 22, Rangers City 21, Central FC 19, Rangers Masters 19, Trojans Angels 14, Renwick 14, Central Wolves 14, Rangers Colts 7, Picton 7, BV Masters 6, Trojans Strikers 4, Trojans Spartans 0.
On Saturday, Rangers AFC went down 3-2 to top-of-the-table Tahuna in the latest round of Nelson division one football.
The match, played in Nelson, went the way of the home side initially, goals in the eight and 18th minutes pushing them ahead 2-0 before Rangers’ Allesandro Uderzo pulled one back on the half hour.
That remained the halftime score but Tahuna edged further ahead 15 minutes after the break when Gregor Peacock scored and, although replacement Jeimar Zapata grabbed Rangers’ third with 12 minutes to play, the visitors were unable to force an equalizer.
Next week Rangers meet FC Nelson in Blenheim on Saturday, 3pm.
Standings: Tahuna 23, FC Nelson 18, Suburbs Reserves 11, Rangers AFC 10, Richmond 5, Golden Bay 1.