Wrens bow out of President's Cup

News


Gordon Foster, 16 September 2009

Rainworth 1 Arnold Town 2

MUCH changed Rainworth’s President’s Cup campaign ended at the first hurdle with a home defeat by local rivals Arnold on Tuesday night, but the Wrens must still be wondering how they lost after having the better of large parts of the derby.
Ian Clarke’s 29th minute goal, his first for the club, looked to have given the Wrens an interval advantage, but Max Pembleton struck a fine equaliser as the half entered stoppage time.
Although Rainworth generally had the better of the second half, they could not turn their advantage into goals.
Arnold, who included ex-Forest star Nigel Jemson and former Middlesbrough forward Chris Freestone up front, always threatened on the counter-attack, to the extent that keeper and acting skipper Mark Hales had to do enough to earn the reporter’s man of the match nomination.
But Hales was beaten five minutes from time when livewire Carl Spencer slotted the winner to send the Eagles soaring into round two.
Ian Streather, Luke Thomas, Nathan Hollingworth and Brendan Sweeney all made their first starts of the season for Rainworth as manager Rudy Funk, away watching the FA Cup replay between Bedworth and Causeway United, rang the changes.
Massiah McDonald posed an early threat when he found away around the back of the Arnold defence on the right, forcing Craig Evans to turn the ensuing low centre for a corner.
When Arnold responded the Wrens defence struggled to clear Spencer’s cross, but Freestone miscued his shot straight at Hales.
Ant Lynam twice went close for the Wrens, first steering Sweeney’s through ball beyond the far post, and then rattling the bar from the busy Danny Naylor’s excellent centre.
And Naylor sent a half-volley onto a dropping ball skidding narrowly wide from 20 yards in the 19th minute.
However, 10 minutes later Rainworth drew first blood. Hollingworth’s initial effort was only half cleared to Clarke who rammed the ball home with a first time low drive from outside the area.
Naylor showed his paces again in the 32ns minute with a surge along the right, but his cross-shot flashed beyond the far post.
Rainworth threatened again in the 40th minute. Sweeney dispossessed former Wren Lee Soar and fed McDonald, whose powerful shot keeper Lee Broster parrid behind for a corner, from which Thomas unluckily headed against the bar.
Instead it was the Eagles who were on target as the half went into overtime, the home defence caught static as Pembleton was allowed time and space to fire into the top corner from 20 yards.
Arnold made a double substitution for the second half, while Rainworth sent on Matt Draper for the injured Clarke.
Hales was in early action blocking well from Nick Hall following an interchange with Freestone.
But Rainworth were soon pushing forward again, and Lynam twice went close after good work, first by McDonald and then Hollingworth.
Hales did well to save at Jemson’s feet as the veteran striker looked to profit from Liam Southern’s driven centre. And when Arnold broke again the keeper denied Freestone with another fine stop.
For Rainworth, McDonald and Jermain Hollis combined well along the right, and Eagles substitute Mark Brewster was injured in clearing the danger.
Again Arnold hit on the counter-attack, and again Hales saved well to deny Freestone..
And the keeper then managed to stick out a leg to spare Draper the embarrassment of scoring an own goal as he sought to deny Freestone a shot.
But Arnold struck the winner five minutes from time when Hall threaded a pass through for Spencer to give the heroic Hales no chance with a drive into the bottom corner.
Rainworth pushed forward all the more in a bid to take the tie into extra time, and almost succeeded in the 90th minute, when Julian Topliss, on for McDonald, stormed in from the right and fed a great low cross to Lynam, who looked to have found the equaliser, only for Lee Broster to copy his opposite number and make a superb blocking save.
And even with the benefit of four added minutes that was the last time that Rainworth really threatened to save the game.

RAINWORTH: Hales, Hollis, Hollingworth, Streather, Thomas, Alberry, I. Clarke (Draper ht), Naylor, McDonald (Topliss 77), Lynam, Sweeney. Sub not used: Middleton.

ARNOLD: Broster, Thornton, Evans (Brewster ht, Carruthers 76), Hall, Soar (O’Grady ht), M. Clarke, Spencer, Pembleton, Freestone, Jemson, Southern.

REFEREE: Glyn Kissane of Shirebrook.

ATTENDANCE: 83.

WRENS MAN OF THE MATCH: Mark Hales.