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All Together In The Floral Dance
Damian Ainsworth1 Dec - 17:12
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Magnificent Menston Hit All The High Notes Against Brighouse
Tradition dictates that during the month of December, today's opponents, Brighouse, are preceded onto the pitch before every match by the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, performing a rendition of 'The Floral Dance'. Look towards the heavens and a hologram of Terry Wogan can just about be spotted, conducting things. Reminiscent of the opposition staring down an All Blacks Haka, the players of Menston Rangers faced off against the illustrious brass band and warbled along as Steve Miller pulled a tin whistle out of his back pocket and improvised 'There's No One Quite Like Grandma' while sporting a t-shirt of the late Queen Mother.
It was asking plenty for the game to live up to the standards of the pre-match entertainment but this 3rd Round County Cup encounter did not disappoint. Menston came close to getting off to a flier but a couple of stops from the excellent Brighouse goalkeeper denied a lively Macauley. The away team looked dangerous on the counter though an outstanding back four of Jefferson, Casey, Hutchinson, and Taylor jettisoned their every advance. The floodgates opened after fifteen when a lightning move and a clever cross by Macauley was finished first time by Ainsworth. From that moment Menston played some of the best football seen at St Mary's for many a long year. Macauley added a second and Boughan claimed a deserved goal of his own to make it three before Macauley delivered a fourth in the closing moments of the half.
Brighouse came out for the second half with purpose and proved their mettle by getting on the scoresheet from a set piece. However, Rangers continued to play lovely sweeping one-touch football, the keeper denying them on numerous occasions with fine saves. Menston snuffed out any hopes of a revival when the effervescent Holliday-Gomes finished off a flowing move to make it five. The game continued to spark into the dying embers although a cameo performance up front from Jefferson did not deliver the goal that was threatened.
Menston Rangers march onwards into the last 16 of the County Cup. The draw takes place on Monday lunchtime at Leeds Town Hall and will be streamed live on YouTube. The home teams will be pulled out of the hat by Bryan 'Pop' Robson while the away teams are to be extricated, ironically, by the ghost of Terry Wogan.
It was asking plenty for the game to live up to the standards of the pre-match entertainment but this 3rd Round County Cup encounter did not disappoint. Menston came close to getting off to a flier but a couple of stops from the excellent Brighouse goalkeeper denied a lively Macauley. The away team looked dangerous on the counter though an outstanding back four of Jefferson, Casey, Hutchinson, and Taylor jettisoned their every advance. The floodgates opened after fifteen when a lightning move and a clever cross by Macauley was finished first time by Ainsworth. From that moment Menston played some of the best football seen at St Mary's for many a long year. Macauley added a second and Boughan claimed a deserved goal of his own to make it three before Macauley delivered a fourth in the closing moments of the half.
Brighouse came out for the second half with purpose and proved their mettle by getting on the scoresheet from a set piece. However, Rangers continued to play lovely sweeping one-touch football, the keeper denying them on numerous occasions with fine saves. Menston snuffed out any hopes of a revival when the effervescent Holliday-Gomes finished off a flowing move to make it five. The game continued to spark into the dying embers although a cameo performance up front from Jefferson did not deliver the goal that was threatened.
Menston Rangers march onwards into the last 16 of the County Cup. The draw takes place on Monday lunchtime at Leeds Town Hall and will be streamed live on YouTube. The home teams will be pulled out of the hat by Bryan 'Pop' Robson while the away teams are to be extricated, ironically, by the ghost of Terry Wogan.
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