Rangers boss Boddie: 'My lads stepped up to the mark'

St Francis Rangers boss Simon Boddie was delighted after an Oluwaseun Olabiyi brace saw his side pick up three points away at Hailsham on Tuesday night.
Simon BoddieSimon Boddie
Simon Boddie

Olabiyi struck in the 47th and 64th minute to ensure a 2-1 win for Boddie's men.

This was Rangers’ first league match since February 24. Boddie said: "After so much stopping and starting with all the bad weather recently with the ground being either soaking wet or covered in snow, it was nice to get a game on. Albeit if I was the Hailsham groundsman I wouldn’t be happy on Wednesday morning."

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Rangers had a number of players not available which presented an opportunity to one or two fringe players. The pitch was very heavy and Hailsham had produced some very good results in their last four or five games so Boddie saw this as a true test.

But Boddie said: "My lads stepped up to the mark and ground the opposition down.

"It wasn’t pretty but was a gutsy performance as Hailsham didn’t roll over. After being goalless at half-time, the instructions given were to forget intricate football and be direct.

"This proved to be the difference and eventually the pressure paid off. However tiredness eventually git the better of our back line and a mistake allowed Hailsham to score in the 89th minute but we hung on until the final whistle."

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Boddie added: "It would be unfair to single individuals out but Chris Haskell certainly put himself in the frame for MOM as did Harvey James in goal who made some crucial saves.

"Eventually MOM went to Chris Capper at right back whose energy was endless and proved there were no ill effects from a broken leg at the beginning of the season."

Boddie now believes his side need to get four or five results in succession to show the improvement in last season they are striving to find.

Rangers do not have a game on Saturday but host Steyning Town on Tuesday night.

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