Plains Rangers’ women travelled to play Wāhine Toa at Te Puke for their final clash in the Bay 1 women’s league on Sunday.

With Litt Park being very wet under foot and sustaining a 90-minute thrashing on Saturday during the men’s game, the women’s teams played on the number 2 pitch.

Rangers’ women came out strongly from the whistle and both Rose Sinkinson and Gemma Stuckey put strong early shots just wide. Rangers spent the bulk of the first half pinning the home team in their own half.

Textbook passing throughout the team and relentless attacks put Te Puke on their heels. Ella-Rose Bain and Lucy Cox-Ellison held the back line solid and Lily Muggeridge and Danielle Giordano did a great job supporting their wingers Sarah Sinkinson and Rose Sinkinson.

The relentless attacks on the Te Puke defence allowed midfielders Danielle Haldane, Mariah Pepper and Gemma Stuckey to apply extra pressure on the home team, whilst Rangers’ starting striker Shani McPherson put in a good shift hounding the Te Puke defence.

Ten minutes before the break, Rangers finally made their possession pay. Rose Sinkinson launched a throw-in to Stuckey, who laid it back and Sinkinson’s shot flew over the Te Puke keeper into back of the net.

Te Puke quickly replied, however, by slipping a through ball past the Rangers back line and finding the goal less than a minute later. Late in the half, Lucy Cox-Ellison had a shot cleared off the line as Rangers were unlucky not to take the lead into half time.

The second half began and Rangers started off strongly again, connecting the dots well and utilising all players on the field. Te Puke though, began to find some traction and to shut down the Rangers attacks and went close with a bad miss from close range.

Rangers continued to hound the Te Puke team, creating chances on goal. Cox-Ellison made several good drives forward and Rangers won a series of corners. Midway through the half, the home team had a good spell of pressure. Rangers stand-in keeper Ranee Whiting made a really good save to palm a shot wide, but two minutes later the home team found some luck.

A scramble in the six-yard box ended up with the ball in the back of the visitors’ net. The intensity of the match continued right to the final whistle, with an altercation on the field leading to a yellow card for the home team and a red card for Rangers. Down to ten players, Rangers soldiered on and finished the game with pride.

The home team Te Puke came away with the win, 2-1, leaving the visitors feeling unlucky not to get more for their good play. Rangers player of the day was awarded to Rose Sinkinson.

While this sees the end of the season for Rangers’ women, the men’s team has the exciting challenge of a Miller Cup quarter-final this Saturday, against well-performed 1st division side Waipuna Rangers. Kick-off at the Edgecumbe Domain is at 2.30pm.