Vs. Hastings Rangers (A)
Starting XI	Substitutes:
Andy Poulter
Owen Davies	(60 Dave Mills)
Alan Cowley
Max Sztyber
Paul Ford
Pete Cooper	(80 Dave Sitch)
Ollie Jeffs
Andy Mills (c)
Ian Rafiti
Gary Walsh
Steve Spicer	(50 Tom Frere-Smith)
Referee: B Bamblett
Goals: Cooper, Rafiti.
HT Score: 0-1
FT Score: 2-2

Facing opposition in the top half of the Division, Battle Baptists may have settled for the point at the start of the afternoon but by full time they were disappointed they didn’t take all three.

In uncharacteristic Bulverhythe good weather the Baptists started gingerly not really knowing what to expect from a Rangers side that had won 8 and lost eight this season. Rangers enjoyed good possession and territory, pressing their visitors back but Battle enjoyed several counter attacks the closest of which ended with a Pete Cooper shot that soared over the bar.

As the rain began to fall, Rangers flighted a 35-yard free kick into the area and keeper Andy Poulter’s unfailing hands failed him, dropping the ball for the Rangers striker to open the scoring with a gift.

The advent of Tom Frere-Smith after the break brought Battle back to life as the nippy forward jinked around and exchanged passes to create chances for Battle. On 60 minutes Battle were level after Walsh, Jeffs and Frere-Smith carved open the Rangers defence with clinical passing for Cooper to slide the ball past the Rangers keeper. With the Baptist defence mopping up any Rangers efforts to cross the halfway line, Battle took control and were awarded an indirect free kick inside the penalty area for obstruction on the effervescent Ian Rafati. When the cleverly worked free kick was blocked on the line, it rebounded to Rafati himself who fired it through a wall of players into the net for 2-1.

At this point Rangers were second best in the contest as Battle attacked down both flanks looking to extend the lead for a comfortable win. But football’s a funny old game and the Baptists conceded an equaliser when Max Sztyber headed an own goal 10 minutes from time after a rare incursion by a tiring home team.

The goal lifted Rangers and in the final moments either team could have snatched the points. Poulter hobbled through the last 10 minutes after injuring his groin and Frere-Smith created 2 good openings only to see them go agonisingly wide.

Having scored 3 of the 4 goals and looked much the more threatening team in the second half, Battle can consider themselves unfortunate and will look forward to the return game in April.