Blackpool youth football match of the week: Kirkham Blues Under-14 v FC Rangers

Kirkham were never in front but Kyle Rodgers’ hat-trick enabled them to come back from two goals down twice.

They levelled the match at 4-4 only for Wallace to score the winner, seizing on the outstanding Lewis Godley’s pass before cutting in from the left to power his shot home.

In a match switched to the Blackpool team’s home ground because Kirkham’s Coronation Road was unfit, FC made a storming start to take an early 2-0 lead.

The Blues pulled one back only for Rangers to reclaim their cushion at 3-1.

However, inspirational striker Rodgers completed his treble and tied the match at 3-3.

Kirkham later equalised again when Luke O’Reilly’s outstanding first-time finish made it 4-4.

The outstanding Rodgers’ goals were all clinical counterattacking efforts, with valuable assists from the excellent Owen Froggatt.

Matty Guy scored twice for Rangers, with Mario Craescu also on target and Godley scoring a penalty, though Rangers felt they should have been awarded a second.

Blues boss Paul Froggatt rued the dropped points in their battle at the bottom in a testing campaign which has seen players from last season’s Kirkham anQd Warton teams join forces.

He said: “ It was a very competitive and exciting match but it wasn’t our day. A lack of communication cost us at the end for the winning goal.

“It hasn’t been the best of seasons but we still have seven to play and we should be better next season now the players have got to know each other.”

The victorious Rangers side are well placed for a mid-table finish in a pleasing season for assistant manager Nic Withers, whose side can look forward to a Hogan Plate semi-final against another team of Blues, Lytham Juniors, this weekend.

Nic said of the win over Kirkham: “We shouldn’t have let them back into the game after starting so well on the front foot but it was a good attacking display.”

Central midfielder Godley took the Rangers man of the match, having scored, set up the winner and showed a good passing range. Three-goal Rodgers was the star of the show for Kirkham.

This article's appearance online was delayed as we awaited a picture of Kyle Rodgers from the game. Kyle was incorrectly identified in a photograph used with Wednesday's Gazette report. We apologise for the error.