Glos County Rangers boss determined to steer clear of drop zone
PETER Bradbury is urging his Rockleaze Rangers team to double down and make sure they remain a Marcliff Gloucestershire County League competitor ahead of a proposed more productive 2022-23 campaign.
Rockleaze have ridden quite the rollercoaster this term, their hopes at the start of a concerted crack at league title and promotion success scuppered in no small way by a series of injuries and unavailability.
Bradbury’s battlers, fresh off the back of Saturday’s 3-0 defeat of English Bicknor at Hillside Gardens HQ, appear comfortably placed tenth in the table heading into tomorrow’s away day with seventhspot Quedgeley Wanderers (3pm). Rangers’ leader emphasised, however: “There are rumours three teams could go down; so I’m looking at us trying to get at least three wins from our final five games to make certain we don’t get sucked in.
“It’s a big plus having Dan Webb and Jordan Dent available to us as a partnership again, our prolific front two from two years ago. Dan has had his injury problems since coming back to us from Cribbs earlier in the season; but when he’s played he’s been coming up with the goals, as we saw with his hat-trick against Bicknor at the weekend.
“Jordan has been out most of the season with a knee ligament injury. He’s been training the past few weeks and hopes to return against Quedgeley, which would mean I’d have two recognised forwards up there together for the first time this season. It’s a frontline we’ve sorely missed, and it’s great to have them back in business together.”
As though to sum up their season, there have been more ups and downs for Bradbury and his men to negotiate, although he’s emerged from those latest experiences in reasonably encouraged mode.
He said: “We played the top two, Shirehampton and Wick, immediately before getting back to winning ways on Saturday. Against Wick we were simply beaten (2-0) by the better team, although I was pleased with how hard we made them work for that and the fact it took two very well-crafted goals to overcome us. Shire beat us 3-0 on one of those days best forgotten from our perspective. It was hard to take as we’d been only 1-0 down and creating chances when decisions out of our control went against us. I’m not one to criticise officials as I know it’s hard; but for me, goals two and three should never have been given. Yes, Shire maybe shaded it; but 3-0 flattered them.
“In response, we targeted three points against Bicknor who are down there second from bottom; and while we didn’t produce our best performance, a bit laboured at times, we could easily have won by more. Nonetheless, it was a nice way for me and my assistant Lee Douglas to celebrate our 100th County League game in charge at Rockleaze together.”
Wick, who trail leaders Shire by two points but hold a game in hand, take a breather from the league as they host Little Stoke in the semi-finals of the Les James League Cup for the chance to face Ruardean Hill Rangers in the final (3pm). Shire, who have won their last two games following back-toback defeats, don’t play again until Wednesday when fourth-placed Frampton United visit the Creek (7.30pm). Tomorrow sees Patchway Town and visiting Henbury lock horns at Scott Park. Bottom team Hanham Athletic, and their opponents at home next Saturday Bromley Heath United, both have this weekend off.