Simpsn ensures Rangers maintain gap

Ridgens League Premier Divisin Sham Twn Rangers 1 Ipswich Wanderers 1 SOHAM missed the pprtunity t mve eight pints clear at the tp f the table, but in the end were grateful fr a draw as bth Needham Market and Wrxham bth failed at hme t,

Ridgens League Premier Divisin

Sham Twn Rangers 1 Ipswich Wanderers 1

SOHAM missed the pprtunity t mve eight pints clear at the tp f the table, but in the end were grateful fr a draw as bth Needham Market and Wrxham bth failed at hme t, drawing 1-1 and 0-0 with Kirkley and Leistn respectively.

The first real chance f the game fell t Darren Jimsn, but he vlleyed inches wide frm Aarn Turner's 15th minute crss.

Lee McGlne went equally clse when just heading wide frm a Mills free-kick, but Jimsn respnded fr Sham when ndding a Charles Libam free kick against the Ipswich crssbar.

Sham cntinued t create the better chances as the secnd half gt underway, but it was Wanderers wh pened the scring after 56 minutes.

McGlne fund space inside the Rangers penalty area, and after receiving a lfted thrugh ball frm Lwe placed his sht inside the pst.

Ipswich galkeeper Hammnd denied Libam an immediate equaliser by blcking with his legs, and it lked like being ne f thse days fr Sham as they twice rattled the wdwrk midway thrugh the secnd half.

Martin McNeil headed against the bar frm a Paul Jnes crner, and Turner's gal-bund sht was deflected n t the bar by Mills as Sham pressed hard t get back n terms.

Turner was bked fr diving in the 74th minute, whilst at the ther end Ipswich created pprtunities t put the result beynd dubt.

Tw minutes f nrmal time remained when Jimsn flicked the ball hpefully int the Ipswich penalty area, and Michael Simpsn managed t hld ff a challenge frm Symnds befre steering the ball past Hammnd fr his 10th gal f the campaign and the equaliser.

Jimsn had the chance t win it but fired straight at Hammnd, whilst at the ther end McGlne had a similar pprtunity but placed his effrt just the wrng side f the pst.

"It was a tugh game," said Rangers bss Ian Benjamin afterwards. "We had enugh chances t win it, but have stpped scring gals in recent weeks. We need t start kncking ne r tw in and t be hnest I culdn't see us scring in the last 15 minutes."

Sham entertained champinship rivals Wrxham n Tuesday night and travel t seventh-placed Dereham Twn n Saturday.

"They are difficult matches," said Benjamin, "but I'm lking frward t them all. There's an pprtunity here, and it's up t the players t take it.