TEAM OF THE WEEK: Pack Horse Rangers (From Wiltshire Times)

Div Three

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Pack Horse Rangers

7:55am Thursday 28th January 2010

THE Wiltshire Times & Chippenham News-sponsored Team of the Week award for January 24 has been awarded to Third Division side Pack Horse Rangers.

With almost a full fixture programme last Sunday, it came as little surprise that their were many teams in contention for the accolade.

From the 30 scheduled matches only three games were lost to waterlogged pitches. In the Premier Division, Westbury Rangers A ended Biddestone’s 100 per cent record with a comfortable 5-2 success, which was also their first loss against Shaun Gardiner’s side in five outings.

In the first division Chippenham Sports & Social Club, who had lost 5-2 to AFC Calne earlier in the season, avenged that by inflicting Calne with their first defeat in five outings, taking the points wit ha convincing 4-1 victory.

Ben Smith scored a hat-trick for the winners with Mark Clarke’s header making up their four goals.

Division Three sides Bradford Renegades and Bromham (Sunday) went close, Bradford for their 4-3 win over Three Crowns United and Bromham for their 6-2 victory at home to AFC Melksham.

Fresh from their Team of the Week winning performance the previous week when they beat first division AFC Calne in the Knockout Cup, The Crown FC almost claimed back to back awards for their 4-0 win at leaders British Lion, Jason Lucas (two), Rob Mitchell and Nathan Emm scoring for Tom Perkins' side.

All of the above results were bettered by third division Pack Horse Rangers, who travelled to second-placed Steeple Ashton Rangers who had only lost one of their previous nine matches.

Rangers were bidding for an eighth straight victory and, having already beaten Pack Horse 3-2, they were expected to get it.

Horse couldn’t have read the script as they put in one of their best performances for many seasons to claim a well-deserved 6-3 win.

Richard Bolter's neat turn and curling effort gave Horse the lead, but Ashton got back on level terms before Bolter regained the lead for his team when he headed home from a corner.

Ashley Tarrant reacted quickest to fire home a rebound after his cross hit the bar but back came Ashton and reduced the deficit before the interval.

Pack Horse came out for the second half determined to keep their lead and were first to everything.

Ashton found it hard to break the visitors down with the defence playing well as a whole unit.

Will Symons then gave the visitors a two goal lead when the ball dropped to him on the edge of the box and his sweet strike nestled in the bottom corner. Pack Horse went further ahead when Gareth Cooper’s curling free kick was missed by everyone and flew straight into the net.

Bolter made the game safe when he latched on to a square ball at the back post to hammer the ball into the roof of the net which completed his hat-trick and made the score 6-2.

Ashton pulled a goal back late on but it was only a consolation which counted for nothing as Ashton had suffered only their second loss in 10 outings.