March 9, 2024
This fixture was originally scheduled to be played on December 30th, and Fatbear was due to cover it. Unfortunately, the game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, but as luck would have it, a second visit to Risborough Rangers this season coincided with the rearranged fixture.
Risborough Rangers
A lot had changed at Rangers since these diaries reported on their 2-3 home loss to North Greenford United in late September, when they were going through a bad spell and had fallen to 16th in the league table. However, from mid-October they embarked on an unbeaten run of 8 league and cup matches, and had moved up to 9th when the first attempt to host Milton United was thwarted.
In February, it was announced that long-serving manager Mark Eaton was moving up to become General Manager, and ex-Wycombe Wanderers legend and former Thame United manager Mark West was taking over. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, a few of the players that had played under West last season at Thame but left for North Leigh after budget cuts at Thame in the close season, had now dropped down a division and signed for Rangers, undoubtedly helped by budget cuts at North Leigh following the announcement they had failed a ground grading inspection so would not be eligible for promotion this season back to the league North Leigh had played in last season !
Dan West, George Gilmore, Lewis Thorne, Adam Smith and Greg Hackett had all moved from North Leigh together with Owen James, who had not previously been a Thame United player. Looking at the current squad listed in the on-line programme, I made it ten players who had previously played for Thame at some time or other, eight of whom were in today’s matchday squad.
Ex-Leighton Town striker Lewis Toomey now had 18 league goals, whilst winger Harry Scott, who had scored 7 league goals had joined Southern League AFC Dunstable in January.
Risborough started the day in 10th position with a 10-5-11 record but with 12 matches left to play, a good run could see them sneak into 5th place and a promotion play-off position. They now had a squad used to playing at a higher level so although it was a tall order, it wasn’t totally out of the question. After all, North Leigh had been in second place in the Southern League Division One Central at the time of their implosion.
Due to postponements due to bad weather, Rangers last match was a 3-2 home win over Hilltop on February 20th, in Mark West’s first game in charge. Prior to that, Wembley were beaten 5-0 in Princes Risborough in Mark Eaton’s last game as manager.
The average attendance at Windsors for league matches this season was currently 122.
Milton United
Founded in 1909, Milton United are located just outside Didcot in the village of Milton in South Oxfordshire. They had been long standing members of the Hellenic League but were transferred to the Combined Counties for this season after promotion to Step 5.
Milton began the day in 5th place with a 12-4-9 record, and a decent 6-2-4 away from home, but North Greenford United were a point behind but with two games in hand and were in the quarter-finals of the FA Vase. Perhaps the highlight of Milton’s season to-date was their 6-1 victory at Southern League Aylesbury United in the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup, which set up a tie at Maidenhead United in the next round, the first time ever Milton United had ever played a step 1 non-league side. As expected, Maidenhead were too strong and Milton exited the competition after going down 0-4.
Ex-Banbury United, Oxford City Nomads and Didcot striker Louis Joyce was Milton’s top scorer with 16 league goals and was making his 100th appearance for Milton today, whilst captain James Organ was previously at Didcot, Abingdon United and Kidlington.
Milton’s centre-back Dan West is not the same player as Risborough’s ex-Thame and North Leigh attacking midfielder and son of Mark West, but he was missing today so you never know !
The average league attendance at The Heights this season was 98.
Milton last played on Tuesday evening at Edgeware and Kingsbury but were pegged back by a late equaliser for a 1-1 draw. Prior to that they beat Chalfont St Peter 4-2 at home. The reverse meeting between these two sides back in August finished in a 4-0 home win for Milton.
Matchday Information
Entrance for the game was £8 for adults, £5 for over 65s and £2 for under 18s. The match programme was on-line.
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off time was dry, with temperatures of around 10 degrees, but there was a risk of some short showers later in the game, which fortunately stayed away.
Milton’s journey to Princes Risborough was just over 25 miles and should take around 50 minutes.
Risborough were playing in their familiar all red kit, but Milton were in their change kit of dark blue with yellow trim.
Risborough made one changes from their last outing, with Matt Peake-Pijnen replacing George Gilmore, and five players remained from the side that started against North Greenford United back in September.
Milton made one changes from their mid-week fixture, with Keiran Cooper coming in for Dan West.
Match Report
The home side started brightly with a deft flick from West finding Toomey inside the Milton area but the lay-off was just too strong for Smith to latch onto and Milton were able to clear.
Milton responded by winning a corner and Bloomfield’s delivery reached centre-back Lee, but his header at the back post looped over the bar.
Next, a long ball out of the Rangers’ defence from Sturgess looked threatening but Milton keeper Crowther was off his line to gather ahead of Toomey.
With 9 minutes played Joyce committed a foul on Thorne but the referee thought differently, but when play continued Joyce then chopped down West for a free-kick near half-way.
Milton had clearly come to play with a physical approach, and Lee made a bad foul on Toomey midway inside the Milton half. Justice of sorts was delivered as the free-kick wasn’t properly cleared and the ball seemed to be rolling off for a corner. However, Hackett reacted quickly and got to the ball ahead of the Milton keeper, and then proceeded to round the stranded keeper to fire past the covering defender on the line from the angle of the 6 yard box to give Risborough the lead. 1-0 after 13 minutes.
Two minutes later Smith headed on a long ball down the left-hand channel for Hackett to run onto but his low cross was well defended on the stretch by a Milton defender.
Joyce’s niggly play continued with a stamp on the ankle of Urquhart as the Rangers defender was shepherding the ball out of ball for a throw-in to leave the defender in a heap, but again the referee decreed a free-kick was the sufficient sanction. Milton’s Webb was then penalised for a knee into a Rangers’ player.
However, Milton showed they were capable of playing some decent football as Nadin showed good skill down the left but his dangerous cross was well cut-out by Urquhart.
Risborough’s Sturgess then showed that the foul play wasn’t all one-sided with a bad foul on Thomas, but when play recommenced Webb committed an awful studs-up foul on Peake-Pijnen, making contact in the groin region, to receive the first yellow card of the game, and was lucky not to see red.
The free-kick was played into the Milton area but an awful defensive header from Lee only succeeded in sending the ball to the unmarked Hackett, who had an easy finish to sweep home from 8 yards. As one of the Milton players exclaimed, where was the full-back ? Perhaps more poignant would have been to comment on the dreadful defensive header…..Anyway, it was now 2-0 after 19 minutes
The visitors responded by winning a free-kick on the left-hand side of the field, but Bloomfield’s delivery was headed away by Peake-Pijnen for Hackett to run towards half-way only to be stopped by a blatant foul from Nadin, who then cynically stopped the attempt to take a quick free-kick. The referee though kept his cards in his pocket.
Milton played a free-kick into the Rangers’ penalty area and when Sturgess and Joyce went for an aerial challenge, the Milton striker crashed to the floor and appealed for a penalty, but the referee merely waved play on.
Milton then managed to work the ball towards the left-hand corner flag, where Nadin fell to the floor, and the referee deemed it to be a dive and booked the Milton player for simulation.
Milton again managed to have possession in Risborough territory and another Bloomfield free-kick was headed away by West, but again when Hackett broke, he was chopped down.
Milton continued to shoot themselves in the foot defensively as a poor pass from Lee in the 33rd minute was intercepted and immediately played forward for James to run onto. Keeper Crowther rashly decided to rush off his line but James got to the ball first and spooned the ball high in the air towards the centre of the 6 yard line. Smith under pressure from Cooper could only head the ball high into the air, and Crowther recovered to make an easy catch.
Three minutes later Toomey laid off to Hackett who again proved too good for the unfortunate Cooper, easily beating the Milton full-back to pull back to West, but the thunderous left-footed effort from 10 yards produced a smart save from the Milton keeper to push the ball away.
Lee again made an awful pass out of defence straight to Hackett, and a slide rule pass through the heart of the Milton defence put Toomey clear, and the striker had an easy finish past Crowther. 3-0 with 37 minutes played.
Milton nearly pulled a goal back two minutes later when Rangers’ keeper Hill dropped a cross into the 6 yard box but redeemed himself when the ball fell to Webb and saved the shot from the edge of the area with his legs.
In the 40th minute Urquhart sent the ball long but Lee’s touch back to his keeper was weak and Smith prepared to latch onto it, only to be pulled back by the Milton centre-back. However, the referee bottled making a big decision as awarding a foul would have inevitably resulted in a red card for Lee, so play continued.
Joyce then committed a sly foul on West which the referee failed to penalise, but after the ball was worked wide to Nadin his run was ended by a smart tackle by Thorne.
With a minute remaining in the first half, Toomey showed a good touch to keep the ball from going into touch and then played down the touchline. Hackett easily skipped past Lee but his low ball into the Milton area was cleared by Rowbotham.
Risborough then attacked down the right-hand side. James produced a great flick back inside into the Milton penalty area for full-back Thorne to run onto, but a brave block from Rowbotham saw the effort deflected off for a corner.
As the sides headed off to the dressing rooms for the half-time interval, Risborough were well worth their three-goal lead over a robust but limited Milton side. Understandably, Milton made a change at the break, bringing on the experienced James Organ to shore up their leaky defence, but a little surprisingly it was Rowbotham who made way rather than the hapless Lee, or the unfortunate Cooper who was being given a lesson by Hackett and receiving little support from his team-mates.
Initially though the substitution didn’t appear to have made any difference as the Milton defence went AWOL leaving Hackett in oceans of space on the left, but his delicate chip towards the far post was just a fraction too long for Smith to get on the end of.
Five minutes into the second half, Smith robbed Cooper and ran menacingly down the wing, but his low ball towards Toomey was intercepted by Organ.
After a Milton attacked was cleared, Hackett ran away from Joyce, who snapped at his heels to bring him down, and to received a much belated yellow card after a number of fouls.
Milton were punished a minute later when Rangers’ keeper Hill kicked long, Lee and Organ both allowed the ball to bounce, and Smith nipped in ahead of the keeper to lift over Crowther and into the empty net. 4-0 after 53 minutes.
Milton’s management made a tactical change, bringing on the portly McKirnan, but he at least showed the ability to keep the ball and play sensible passes to his colleagues, and Milton looked more solid after his introduction. Milton’s day though was probably summed up with Nadin receiving possession close to the corner flag, but turning to play a ball back only to send it to Rangers’ Toomey close to the half-way line, necessitating a foul to avert the danger.
Peake-Pijnen then played a long cross-field pass which was well controlled by James, who cut inside but his 20 yard shot was straight at keeper Crowther, who made a regulation catch. Urquhart then launched another long ball over the square Milton defence, leaving the keeper and Toomey to have an aerial challenge, which predictably the keeper won and the Rangers’ striker ended up being injured and had to be replaced.
Milton manager Christian Lawrence then decided to bring himself on, and immediately looked their most dangerous player, capable of holding up the ball and making runs into gaps behind the Risborough defence. It looked like he would have a great chance after a ricochet fell to him six yards out, but Connolly took the ball away from his toes just when Lawrence was about to pull the trigger.
The next attack saw West show good skill to release Hackett, but the attempted pass to Williams was cut-out by Thomas, who was now filling in at right-back.
It was then Organ’s turn to careless give the ball away and James played in Smith, but the 20 yard attempt curled just wide of the far post.
With 11 minutes remaining, Joyce sent a decent cross-field pass to Moore, who won a corner for Milton off Peake-Pijnen. When the set-piece was played into the penalty area, Lawrence failed to make contact with an ambitious over head-kick.
As time ran down, James turned from a throw-in and sent a 20 yard shot sailing wide, West was halted by an offside flag, and then the same player hammered a 30 yard free-kick a couple of feet over the bar. Lee’s nightmare afternoon continued by passing straight to Hackett but the through pass to James was a fraction too long.
Milton searched for a consolation goal and Moore did exceptional well to wriggle away from three markers, but his pass was just too long for Nadin and keeper Hill gathered.
As the game drifted into added time, Milton again gave the ball away to give Rangers a 3 on 1. With options either side of him, Williams opted to go for goal but his shot deflected off the last defender and although Crowther was diving to his left, he was able to stick a foot to prevent a 5th goal, and when Rangers reworked the ball, Williams squandered the final chance of the match.
At the final whistle, Rangers had demonstrated the credentials of their new look squad, comprehensively beating the side in fifth place in the table, who had been made to look extremely limited. Today’s guests at Risborough, ex-players Brian and Davis Haule, gave the man of the match award to Greg Hackett, which at least showed they had been watching the same game as me !
Following this result Risborough moved up to 8th in the table, three points off 5th placed Egham Town but from one game fewer. Milton slipped to 6th.
Online Programme : https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com/clubs/64064/AxY3eQNyT4aJF9kefStw_Milton%20United%20%20LGE%20Saturday%2023rd%20December%202023.pdf
Risborough Rangers : Hill – Thorne, Connolly ( Bishop ), Urquhart, Gilmore, Peake-Pijnen ( Branwhite ) – Sturgess ( Kedzerski ), West, Hackett – James, Toomey ( Williams ), Smith ( Stranks )
Milton United FC : Crowther – Cooper ( Lawrence ), Lee, Rowbotham ( Organ ), Sturgess – Webb ( McKirnan ), Moore, Thomas, Bloomfield – Joyce, Nadin
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