Team: Bulmer, Cox, Waters, Harris, Olley, Ehmer, Smith, Davenport, Parker, German, Molloy.
Subs: Perring, Wright, Bailey
This re-arranged mid-week U18’s fixture against Luton Town coincided nicely with the trip to Doncaster. No sausage rolls but hot drinks were available. It was a very overcast morning at Harlington, very windy but the threatened downpour just held off until we were heading off for our rendezvous with Dave Llewellyn at Hemel Hempstead.
Roger Stokes arrived and then Clive Kingham joined us. The game kicked off well after the scheduled time of 12 o’clock because Luton had turned up late. However, they soon took the lead. After 6 minutes, the ball took a deflection past Bulmer and into the net. The next opportunity fell to the R’s when Josh Parker chested down a long cross and shot just over the bar. Parker was involved in the equaliser which came around the half hour mark when he bombed down the left wing and his superb cross was knocked in from close range by Antonio German. Rangers kept getting caught offside and this wasn’t to be rectified until the 2nd half.
After the interval, QPR were dominating the early stages but it was the visitors who should of scored next. Niki-Lee Bulmer made one of the saves of the season when a looping header looked destined for the net but he somehow dived backwards to push the ball out for a corner. Parker created the R’s second goal with another lovely cross into the box after he had given the full back a couple of yards start but he still managed to speed past him. Again Antonio German was well placed to slot the ball into the corner.
The visitors equalised when a through ball to a wide left position, caught out two Rangers defenders who couldn’t get back in time and their player was able to slot the ball into the net. Keith Ryan decided to switch Luke Olley for Danny Bailey. The Rangers winner came from yet another cross from Josh Parker and this time it was Javonne Molloy who got into a good position to score from close range. Shortly after, Molloy was taken off. I don’t normally like to single out players but I have to say that Josh Parker had an outstanding game and was my MOM. Well done to him and also to the rest of the team.
Steve Russell