It might have not been pretty, but the local derby between Whakatane Town and Gary Fowell Builders Plains Rangers was certainly a hard fought contest.
Rangers had the benefit of the breeze behind them in the first half, but the home team, Whakatane, had the better beginning. Rangers eventually weathered the initial storm and began to give as good as they got. Rangers forced a number of corners, but it was a run into the penalty area by danger man James Krause that set up the main talking point of the first half. Krause got in behind the defence and cut back towards the Whakatane goal. A defender was pulled up for a high foot and one of the Whakatane team got carried away arguing the point with the referee, receiving successive yellow cards and then a red. Whakatane's defence held out for the rest of the half and the score was 0 - 0 at the break.
In the second half there were a number of chances at both ends, but a war of attrition going on in the middle. Rangers' best chance came when a good pass from James Mitchell found Jordan Ogilvy cutting in from his wing. He squared the ball across but Krause pulled his shot wide. At the other end what looked like a certain Whakatane goal from close range was thwarted by a determinedly chasing back Jono Whitaker who got his foot in at the vital moment. Despite being a man down, Whakatane used the breeze and strong defence to keep the Rangers team at bay. In the end, it was still nil-all, with the players from both teams having given their all.
Jono Whitaker was named Rangers player of the day.
Rangers' season in BOP division one is now over. The Sponsors' Cup challenge with Whakatane on the 26th September will round off the season.