FOOTBALL: Deeping Rangers need to find right response

Boss Michael Goode has called for Deeping Rangers to bounce back from their first home league defeat of the season.

They lost 2-0 to Newport Pagnell Town on Saturday as in-form striker Luke Emery scored twice at the start of the second half.

Deeping missed a chance to close the gap at the top of the ChromaSport & Trophies United Counties League’s Premier Division.

However, they remain in second spot with a seven-point advantage ahead of next weekend’s home game with fifth-placed Eynesbury Rovers.

Goode said: “Of course, we are disappointed with the result.

“We have to respond by bouncing back next time.

We will have to regroup and make sure we respond against Eynesbury with the performance and result.

“We weren’t horrendously bad, although we weren’t at our best on Saturday.

“But we had four chances in the first half which we did not take. We weren’t clinical in front of goal.

“Then we started off the second half by going backwards which allowed them to build periods of pressure.

“We got caught out by an overlap for the first goal and within five minutes we were 2-0 down.

“There wasn’t enough quality or intensity in our play to drag us back into it.

“You can see why Newport Pagnell reached the FA Vase quarter-finals because they managed the second half and slowed down the game.

“Dan Schiavi tried to make things happen for us by putting balls into the box.

“We will have to regroup and make sure we respond against Eynesbury with the performance and result.”

Defender Jonny Clay – who was unavailable on Saturday – should be back in the squad next weekend.

He was replaced by Jack Cotton who made his first start for Deeping in more than 12 months.