AFTER four straight wins to start the season, St Francis Rangers came to earth with a mighty thump on Saturday as hosts Wick beat them 2-0 to claim their first league win at the fourth attempt.
Visiting boss Dan Bryan could not disguise his disappointment, saing: "After such a great start, we simply did not turn up and give any sort of account against an okay Wick side whom we made look good.
"I can take losing when you are outplayed and o
utclassed but today's defeat was all of our own making".
For all of Wick's possession and Rangers lack of it in the first half, the hosts were fortunate not to fall behind on the stroke of half time when Sam Jeremiah lobbed the advancing keeper only to see his shot hit the top of the bar. If that had gone in, maybe Rangers would have come out a different side in the second half but it didn't and neither did they.
Losing Geoff Pitcher after 20 minutes did not help the cause and with Terry Gacias badly injured on the hour mark, as well as going in the book a few minutes after Pitcher's departure, Rangers' normal dominant midfield struggled to cope with Wick's quick passing and movement.
Scott Murfin gave Wick a deserved 50th minute lead and after a half hour stoppage while Gacias was taken off to hospital with concussion, the points were sealed with a late goal by Ben Torode.
That came just after Chris Maynard was sent off for a second bookable offence to add to Rangers' misery.
A full report will eappear in this week's Mid Sussex Times.
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