HALL ROAD RANGERS (Haworth Park)

EAST RIDING SENIOR CUP 2nd ROUND, HALL ROAD RANGERS 4-2 SOUTH CAVE UNITED, ATTENDANCE: 67

With the foul weather battering the country, I made the decision to head East today where the incoming rain was not due to hit until late afternoon. The fact that the game between Hall Road Rangers and South Cave United was a 2pm kick off also helped matters enormously. A tweet saying the pitch was perfect-ish and no inspection was planned also reassured this groundhopper!

Northern Counties East Division One (step 6) side Hall Road Rangers were taking on Humber Premier League (step 7) South Cave in the East Riding Senior Cup. Rangers are now playing at a new ground and this was their first senior cup tie at their new home. They left their previous home of 55 years, Dene Park, at the end of last season and relocated to rugby ground Haworth Park, a mile or so down the road.

The had been some disputes in recent years including the club being locked out of Dene Park in a row over a Christmas Party. Another club, Hull United, made Dene Park their home but ironically they too have now been locked out in a dispute with the owners.

Haworth Park has a capacity of 1,200 including a 250 seat covered stand. The ground has been brought up to league standards in the past few months with the installation of new dugouts and floodlights. The playing fields were once part of the grounds of Haworth Hall, which you can see behind one of goals. However there could be possible trouble on the horizon as the council have announced proposals to build 160 houses on the site.

Despite the closeness of the scoreline, Hall Road Rangers always had a little too much for their visitors from South Cave and their passage through to the next round was never really in doubt.

On a very heavy pitch, the opening period was virtually one way traffic as Rangers attacked the South cave goal but it wasn't until the 33rd minute that Ben Kinsley finally broke the deadlock.

As the second half kicked off, the predicted heavy rain finally arrived but the game carried on like the first half with more Rangers pressure. Andy Harrison doubled the their lead on 51 minutes and that seemed to suggest game over. However an own goal from Charlie Brownlie (59) gave South Cave a glimmer hope but that was quickly extinguished when Callum Harrison scored on 61 minutes with a great shot into the top corner.

Darren Rookes then scored to make it 4-1 (63) before Josh Brownlie (68) netted for the visitors to reduce the arrears further. However it was Hall Road Rangers that progressed through to the quarter finals.