Spot kicks end cup journey.

After my 4 and a half mile jouney to Stainton Park i was left wondering how long Boro's cup jouney would take us. The FA Cup is a fantastic competition with hopes and dreams for every club that enters. Remember Chasetown who after visiting the Boro last year enjoyed a great run. With my lucky 7 handed in it was time to sit down to read the much improved match programme accompanied of course with pie, peas & gravy. My appetite now was for cup glory!

Radcliffe kick off this FA cup prelim round with Forrest in for his first start of the season with Waine on the strong Boro bench. Unsworth remains absent from the back four and keeps Howson, Rutter & Brooks company in the dug out. The opening minutes are with Winterton in thier all red kit with Holt and Foulkes showing early promise. Boro then start the game with a cross field move that sees Griff Jones power into the Rangers half looking strong but is tackled well. Connell starts busy and wins a free kick . heald duly steps up to find Craig Dawson who cant direct his header on goal. Connell sparks interest from Sampson who is in the right spot but cant capitalise. Possesion & momentum swings to the blue team. Mark Jones finds Connell who works hard to control , he does and finds Forest who does well to keep his shot down but it flys wide. Connell and Forrest look keen and have the ability to run this afternoons midfield. Griff Jones is edging the contest with full back Robinson . Dawson is fouled and bundled to the ground in front of the dugouts by Sharples . The referee has a chat and calls the Rangers captain over , another new instruction that for minor incidents will only break the game up more, a trend he continues all afternoon. Dawson takes the kick and Oates is free to take a shot on goal, defender gets in the way and the chance is lost. The ref pulls Flynn who as too many words to say to him, again he calls over Captain Si Kelly, rules are rules but common sense please Mr Clayton.

Winterton Rangers are taking the pressure as Forrest offers more by releasing Connell who works hard to find an opening , it closes with a good challenge , Rangers are falling deeper in their own half. Forrest shows some good intent with a fine pass to Connell who in turn puts the ball into the path of Griff Jones who hits the ball in his stride but wide of target. Forrest looks like he is wanting to impress after his time served on the bench by producing a great ball to Mark Jones , he feeds Connell his placed effort goes wide. The 20 minute dominance must produce, Craig Dawson trys with a lofted well placed shot from 25 yards that clears the angle of bar and post. Griff Jones turns up the heat on his shadow and fleeces Robinson to serve a tasty cross that Oates under pressure meets well only to see it wide.

The ball goes back to the Rangers half quickly and Oats sees the driving run of Connell who jostles for a clear view of goal, when he gets one he forces a good hand by the keeper who somehow keeps it out.

Short relief to Winterton sees thier corner cleared easily. Back to the Humberside teams half for Forrest and Connell who combine for the effort of Connells that is wide of the mark.

Winterton start to grow in confidence as they have held Boro well and reduced them largely to shots from distance, they show willing and Foulkes gets forward only to be seen off by Sampson. Sharples playing in red for Foulkes who sets up Holt for a decent shot that goes wide of Halls post. They move again in the right direction with a throw from Mohammed to Holt and back to Mohammed for a good cross that puts boro under pressure to clear, Holt stays in the mix and stubs the ball into Halls hands when it should have been more difficult. With half an hour gone Winterton get back into the game but find Ricardo booked for a foul , his Captain can't defend him.

Forrest collects and loses the ball easily to release Holt who looks dangerous , he can't convert but wins the corner off the repreaved Forrest. The boro lose shape and Rangers see it , Holt shows again to link well with his team mates before Foulkes fires in from the edge of the box. The last ten minutes of the half sees a more end to end game with Forrest providing for Oats and Sampson who in good positions can,t change the scoreboard. Foulkes and Holt look the pick of the visitors and with a lesser back four would profit. Domination in long periods for the boro is not winning the tie, a change, a catalyst is needed .

The second half sees both teams use subs to start Unsworth on for Dawson, Mohammed replaced for Davidson.

Radclifes captain gives a silly free kick and is cautioned . Gladly the resulting kick is wasted . Boro find Oats from an early throw by Connell and is unlucky with the run of the ball. The next throw is cleared by Plant and lands for Sampson who fires high and wide. Sloppiness in the midfield sees boro give Wintertons Holt time to work a good move with Archer and Foulkes the ball is heading for sub Davidson but Hall beats him to the cross and handles well. Unsworth is caught in possesion by the increasingly impressive Holt he,lets fly with an exocet of a shot that leaves Hall only watching as it crashes the bar and bounces down on the keepers side of the goal line, what a goal that would have been. Connell and Forrests first half showing is not here in the second half and Jones is left to try and command midfield.

The game is now a two sided affair that could go either way.Both sides enjo periods of attack before Oates forces a long throw taken by Flynn , Connell gets the flick onto Oates strong header against the arms of Plant and the referee decides to point to the spot, PENALTY to boro! Griff Jones steps up and fires right at a good height for the keeper who saves well!

As the home fans are still bemoaning the miss a push in the Boro box on Watson sees the ref balance the penalties and gives a chance from the spot for Wintertons Holt. He sends the ball to the left of Hall who chooses the other way. 1-0 to Rangers.

A spark is needed. After the score is changed Winterton press looking for the next round.Boro change Heald for Rutter on 66 and Connell for Howson. This introduction as sparked interest within the blues . Connell and Forrest although showing well at the start of the first half can' t penetrate and look disinterested when the game is not going there way. Oates comes alive working with Howson , the two show good touches to make the Rangers work.

As Boro push, the reds get stronger and are inspired by the running of Holt. The last twenty minutes remain as Flynn sends in his trademark long throw to find Howson who heads just wide. Rutter receives the ball wide from a strong Howson flick on ,Mark Jones gets involved to find Forrest who can only send it well wide. Again Howson wins the aerial battle and heads on for Sampson to go by him down the flank and into the box to send a cross that cant be met. Keeper Simpson sees yellow as the ref decides he is wasting time. Holt again releases Watson who makes Unsworth show his defensive strengths , working well with Hall they tidy up. A clearance to Oates who heads on well for Howson to show his strength but narrowly is given offside. At the other end Forrest loses the ball to Holt who is free to shoot wide. Rutter is busy and the red defence have more to think about with the partnership of Oates and Howson. Sharples stays cool to find his keeper when Oates and Rutter threaten. The game now looks like a copy of the Chorley game.

Hall clears with his feet well out of his area only to land at the feet of Ricardo who as the wits to look up pick his spot and launch the ball high over the luckless Hall .2-0!

Boro look to reply quickly with Simpson palming an Oates attempt on to his bar. Rangers Sub thier sub for Kinsley with less than 5 to go. Frantic football in the hope of a comeback ensues. Into the last minute of time and Howson is heading for goal with two defenders to fight off his quality and strength show as he pokes the ball past the keeper , goal to the boro!

He goes to collect the ball and get the game going again to find the beaten defender holding the ball, Howson raises his arms through pure frustration and the ref does not like it ,Howson is off!

Before the ref blows for full time he books Holt for time wasting.

The whistle goes and it is all over, the cup journey ends.

A bad day for the boro as the first third of the game belonged to them, unable to penetrate they saw Rangers gain in confidence. The last 20 minutes showed me that the trio of Oates, Howson and Rutter will damage opponents. The back 5 , strong as it is needs a rethink, Kelly , Unsworth, Heald, Sampson are talented enough defenders to see off good forwards as a foursome. Jones needs a free role to express and Griff Jones needs a rest. A damaging result as Howson and his looming suspension will hurt.

Its not all doom and gloom , the season is a few weeks old and we have a strong squad, i am confident Gerry will find the right tactics and line up.

See you in Harrogate.