Cranleigh Firsts fell to a frustrating 3-4 defeat against Keens Park Rangers in a game that saw them battle back from two goals down, only to be undone by defensive lapses at crucial moments.
First Half: a slow start and costly errors
Cranleigh stuck with their usual formation, making just one change with RJ stepping out. However, the setup quickly proved problematic as Keens Park overloaded the midfield, playing with five in the middle and just one upfront.
The visitors took the lead early on, capitalising on a goalkeeping error when George Mead dropped a corner, allowing a simple tap-in. Keens Park doubled their advantage around the half-hour mark, exploiting a gap in Cranleigh’s defence and finishing at the far post.
At 2-0 down, it was a repeat of last week’s slow start against Dial Square. However, Cranleigh adjusted their formationand began to play their way back into the game. Their persistence paid off just before half-time when Emin delivered a pinpoint cross for George Barrett, who headed home to make it 2-1 going into the break.
Second Half: a fightback and late heartbreak
Cranleigh came out firing in the second half, dominating possession and pushing for an equaliser. An early substitution saw Mackenzie come on in the holding role, and he completely changed the game, dictating play and breaking up opposition attacks.
Despite their strong start, Cranleigh were hit by another setback when Keens Park scored from a poorly defended set piece, restoring their two-goal cushion at 3-1.
But heads didn’t drop. Cranleigh kept pushing forward, and their efforts were rewarded when Adam Bicknell netted twice to bring them level. The first came from a confidently dispatched penalty, while the second was a clinical striker’s finish, taking his tally to four goals in three games.
At 3-3, Cranleigh looked the more likely to go on and win it, dominating possession and creating chances. But against the run of play, Keens Park struck late. A counterattack saw their striker’s effort hit the post, only for the rebound to fall kindly to another attacker, who slotted home the decisive goal.
Full-Time: a tough one to take
Cranleigh can feel hard done by, having controlled large portions of the game—particularly in the second half. A draw would have been a fair result, but defensive lapses proved costly, with three of the four conceded goals coming from avoidable mistakes.
Joint manager Sam Carpenter summed it up: “We were not at our best at all in the first half and we probably deserved to be behind. But in the second half, things got better and we deservedly got back into it. We go again, and we know where we need to improve.”
A tough defeat, but the performance after the break showed real character. The focus now shifts to Wednesday’s scheduled fixture against Banstead, though uncertainty remains over their pitch situation.
Final Score: Cranleigh 3-4 Keens Park Rangers
⚽ Scorers: George Barrett (40’), Adam Bicknell (pen 65’, 75′)
🔝 MOTM: Adam Bicknell – four goals in three games… and counting
