Losing the Ashton fixture means that we follow on from our win against then 5th placed Radcliffe with a home fixture with 2nd placed Lancaster City. We need to get revenge against the Dolly Blues following their opening day victory at Giant Axe. Prior to that game you would have expected a Rangers win starting our run towards the title or at least the playoffs, while Lancaster would be in the lower reaches of the league. How a season can turn on game one, with Rangers now languishing in a relegation battle and Lancaster riding high in the table. But, as Radcliffe found, the higher you are the harder you fall, and revenge for that opening day fixture will be sweet with a Rangers win.

Lancaster arrive at Marston Road with a very good away record, winning 5, drawing 2 and losing 4. In that sequence they managed an amazing away win at South Shields and a well-earned point at Warrington. However away games with other potential promotion / playoff contenders saw them lose at Basford and Nantwich. With South Shields in FA Trophy action on the 14th, Lancaster missed the opportunity to top the table, but they played out a goalless draw with Stalybridge in front of 208 fans. While lying second to South Shields on goal difference, Lancaster need to be aware that the North East side have games in hand, as do several of the clubs chasing them. Therefore, a victory to Rangers could see a dramatic slide in the league table for the side from the North West.

I am fully aware that the last Saturday before Christmas is a date where traditionally gates fall, but having had a couple of free Saturdays recently, you should have already done your Christmas shopping and bought the tree, so get down to Marston Road and see if we can build on the Radcliffe fixture. You could be one of the first fans to park on the new car park surface on a matchday.

Games played on December 21st this century

2002 Weymouth H 0-0 Southern League
2013 Whitby H 0-2 Northern Premier League
2016 Barwell A 1-2 Northern Premier League