Scarva Rangers Reserves 3

AGAINST all the odds Scarva Rangers Reserves battled their way to an away victory against Crewe United Reserves in their final game of the season.

The village’s second team had so many regulars missing that just fulfilling the fixture was an achievement of sorts.

But their replacements had much more than that in mind, sheer work rate and determination the bedrock for an unlikely victory.

The entire back four had changed from the midweek match against Lisanally Rangers Reserves but it turned out not to be such good news for the home side as Glen Buchanan, Nicky Kerr and Adam Topping in particular produced inspired displays and Mark Nicholl excelled in goals.

Crewe took the lead against the run of play but it was the last time they would be ahead in the match.

Ryan Dodds levelled matters for Scarva when he was picked out at the back post from a Glen Buchanan free kick and slotted his shot past the home goalkeeper.

It was all square at the half time interval but Gary Chambers made it 2-1 to Scarva with the goal that copper-fastened his grip on the Reserve team leading goalscorer award.

Darren Clarke made it 3-1 with a clinically executed free kick, struck around 30 yards from the Crewe goal.

The hosts scored for a second time in the game, setting up a tense finale, but Scarva had not worked so hard up to this point to throw everything away in the closing stages.

The victory was the second in the space of four days. On Wednesday 30 April Scarva Rangers Reserves travelled to Armagh to face Lisanally Rangers Reserves.

The local side were rampant in the opening 45 minutes, carving out a four goal lead courtesy of two goals from Mark Bicker, including a breathtaking strike that rivalled Freddie McKelvey’s claim for goal of the season, and strikes from Alex Hammond and Wes Baird.

Scarva were reduced to ten men in the early stages of the second half and Lisanally whittled their lead away to a single goal but some resolute defending by Darren Clarke, Derek Patton and Mo Brown in the Scarva defence ensured the game ended 4-3 to the locals.