BGB SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE MIDLANDS Soham Town Rangers 0 Romulus 3 A NEW chapter in the 61-year history of Soham Town Rangers was started on Saturday, but the Greens failed to produce a performance to match the occasion. Soham were playing at non-l

BGB SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE MIDLANDS

Soham Town Rangers 0 Romulus 3

A NEW chapter in the 61-year history of Soham Town Rangers was started on Saturday, but the Greens failed to produce a performance to match the occasion.

Soham were playing at non-league's level four for the first time and were outclassed by the team from Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham.

Rangers' goalkeeper Lea Jordan made several fine saves and, despite Soham producing some neat passages of attacking play in the last 30 minutes, sparked by the arrival of Andy Furnell from the substitutes' bench, they were unable to force a meaningful save.

Romulus took a 10th-minute lead. Leon Mitchell made the most of the space left when Soham centre-back Stuart Williams left the field for treatment and coolly slotted home.

Seven minutes later Jordan made a good save from a one-on-one with the same player.

Soham struggled to cope with their opponent's power and pace and play-makers Michael Simpson and Callum Kearns were given no space in the centre of a crowded midfield.

Two minutes into the second half Romulus captain Tyrone Fagan latched on to a long kick and lobbed Jordan but the Soham stopper recovered to punch the ball away.

A minute later Mitchell missed a free header from 12 yards.

Jordan made another good save in the 52nd minute after Soham surrendered possession in front of their own penalty area.

A promising Soham move in the 57th minute saw Simpson back-heel to Kearns who spread it wide to debut-making Kentoh Gray on the left wing but after his poor cross the visitors broke and doubled their lead with Fagan finishing well in the penalty area.

Soham boss Ian Benjamin brought Furnell and Paul Jones on for Aaron Turner and Nick Reeson and switched from 4-3-2-1 to 4-4-2.

Kearns tried a Xabi Alonso-type effort when he shot wide from 45 yards when the Romulus goalkeeper was caught out of position in the 70th minute.

Soham's best chance came five minutes later when left-back Martin Bromwich put Furnell in and the striker beat the outrushing goalkeeper to the ball but shot just wide.

Sixteen-year-old midfielder Will Seymour then came on to make his Soham debut. In the 83rd minute when Furnell flicked to Jones who drilled a powerful shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Romulus's left-back thundered a shot from 20 yards against the crossbar after a corner in the 83rd minute and the visitors got their final goal three minutes from time when Fagan broke down the right wing and lobbed Jordan.