Scarva Rangers 2

SCARVA Rangers’ quiet but steady ascent up the league table continued on Saturday with a hard fought and deserved victory over Goodyear.

The locals had defeated Goodyear in their opening game of the season back in August but the Craigavon side have improved since then and made life uncomfortable for the visitors in a first half they largely controlled.

Scarva were lacklustre by the standard of recent weeks and the hosts were well worth their single goal lead, a header that goalkeeper James Clarke was powerless to keep out.

The visitors’ most threatening moment came from Gareth Fulton, whose venomous low shot demanded an agile save from the home goalkeeper.

With half time looming large and Scarva struggling to find a way back into the game, Chris Chambers won the ball decisively in the air to set Scarva on the attack.

Ryan Dodds flicked the ball on and it was picked up by Gareth Fulton who sped down the left and fired the ball into the heart of the Goodyear penalty area, where Stuart Adamson finished from close range.

It was the turning point in the game and Adamson’s contribution didn’t end there. A performance of non-stop running from the right midfielder, along with the equally energetic Rod and Greg Douglas and Nathan and Ryan Dodds, was the bedrock for Scarva’s vastly improved second half display.

Suddenly the home side were spending far more time worrying about defensive duties than attacking, and, as well as hustling and harrying, the Scarva midfield was carving out a growing number of goal scoring opportunities.

The winning goal came from a set piece. A superbly executed long range free kick from Chris Chambers cannoned off the Goodyear crossbar. Rod Douglas was first to react, thrashing the ball emphatically into the net from an acute angle on the right side of the penalty area.

Scarva had to be on their toes in the final quarter of an hour as the hosts searched for an equaliser. The midfield continued to work tirelessly and behind them Johnnie Douglas, Darren Clarke and Chris Chambers dominated their battles, whether on the ground or in the air.

James Clarke also played a key part, tipping at least two goalbound efforts over his crossbar. And there was a touch of good fortune for Rangers too, as the hosts headed just wide of the target from close range in the closing minutes of the game.

The victory stretches Scarva’s unbeaten run in the league to four games and lifts them to sixth in the Division Two table.