Stafford Rangers 2 Hucknall Town 0

Saturday 13th August 2011
Stafford Rangers 2 Hucknall Town 0
Nationwide North
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Programme: £2 (48 pages)
Attendance: 634
Weather: Rain
Duration: first-half: 46:38; second-half: 47:30

Two goals scored in four minutes midway through the second half against a spirited Hucknall Town side gave Stafford Rangers their first opening day victory since 2001.

New signing Vill Powell converted a penalty in the 69th minute then kept a move alive that led to Neil Grayson heading home the second goal.

The visitors could have taken the lead inside the first minute. Mark Ward got a powerful free-kick on target which Stafford’s on-loan goalkeeper Joe Anyon failed to hold but the ball was scrambled clear.

Kevin Street, on his Stafford debut, fired inches over the bar though Hucknall put the home side under pressure winning three corners in quick succession. Hucknall’s new striker Robert Gill drove across the face of goal as chances continued to be created in what was a lively and sometimes frantic start.

However, Hucknall suffered a major blow when striker Gary Ricketts limped off after just 19 minutes and their reorganised forward line posed less of a threat.

Stafford gradually got on top and almost took the lead in the 25th minute. Powell got the better of Alistair Asher down the left and found Nathan Talbott inside the area who forced a near-post save out of James Lindley.

As the interval approached, Street set up Robin Gibson who beat Lindley with a clever lob only to see the ball shave the top of the bar.

Stafford dominated after the break and unmarked Grayson couldn’t quick get his head to Street’s long ball. Lee Downes also saw a low drive kept out by the diving Lindley.

Eventually Stafford turned their dominance into a goal midway through the second half. Grayson was brought down inside the area by Phil Rowland Powell buried the resulting penalty.

Powell’s determination to prevented the ball going out for a goal kick led to Stafford extending their lead in the 73rd minute. Neil Grayson gave Lindley no chance with a close-range header to convert the resulting cross delivered by Downes.

Stafford continued to press and substitute Peter Thomson was unlucky not to mark his debut with a goal. He twice drilled low shots inches wide and also narrowly missed with a header from Street’s corner.

Lively Hucknall replacement Tom Groves should have reduced the deficit when unmarked the area. But, after getting on the end of a Rowland’s cross, he sliced a shot wide.

Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes / black / black): 1. Joe Anyon, 2. Paul Groves, 3. Nathan Talbott, 4. Craig McAughtrie, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 6. Levi Reid, 7. Lee Downes, 8. Kevin Street, 9. Vill Powell, 10. Neil Grayson, 11. Robin Gibson. Subs: 12. Peter Thomson (for Gibson, 65), 14. Liam Murray (not used), 15. Alan Dodd (not used), 16. Dave Walker (for Powell, 90), 17. Craig Lovatt (not used).

Hucknall Town (sky blue with claret sleeves / claret / sky blue): 1. James Lindley, 2. Alistair Asher, 3. Chris Beech, 4. Phil Rowland, 5. Chris Timons (capt), 6. Russell Cooke, 7. Mark Ward, 8. Steve Palmer, 9. Gary Ricketts, 10. Robert Gill, 11. Mark Smith. Subs: 12. Chris Davies (for Ricketts, 20), 14. Tom Groves (for Davies, 69), 15. Curtis Mellars, 16. Tom Carter (for Smith, 66), 17. Eugene Francis.

Referee: P. I. Thompson (Chesterfield).
Assistants: S. R. Gerrard (Shrewsbury) and M. G. Myatt (Telford).

Goals:
1-0 Vill Powell (69 pen)
2-0 Neil Grayson (72)

Sponsors’ Man of the Match: Nathan Talbott

Stafford Rangers 2 AFC Telford United 0

Saturday 6th August 2005
Stafford Rangers 2 AFC Telford United 0
Pre-season Friendly
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Programme: 20p (4 pages)
Attendance: 517
Weather: sunny spells
Duration: first-half: 47:16; second-half: 46:08

Stafford Rangers rounded off their pre-season friendly programme with a comfortable two-goal victory. New signing Vill Powell put them ahead on 28 minutes and Robin Gibson put the outcome beyond doubt with a second goal just past the hour mark.

In a lively start to what was an entertaining friendly, Lee Downes lifted an early shot over visitors’ bar. Stafford continued to press and Neil Grayson deep left-wing cross was headed down to Peter Thomson who saw a goalbound shot blocked by a defender. Levi Reid also got in a looping header that United goalkeeper Steve Taylor comfortably held.

United took a while to settle but when they did Roy Jordan sent a couple of shots over the bar and Stafford goalkeeper Lewis Solly bravely gathered Glenn Tolley’s free-kick at the feet of Duane Courtney.

Powell was unlucky not to find the target with a shot across the face of the United goal in the 28th minute but the former Grays Athletic striker made no mistake a minute later. Latching onto a throughball down the left, he got past Gary Price and drilled a low shot into the opposite bottom right corner of the net.

Rangers quickly got on the attack at the start of the second half. Substitute Alex Gibson found Powell who hit a speculative rising shot that Taylor comfortable held.

However, Telford who included our ex-Boro Tom Griffin, started to cause a few problems. On 49 minutes, a quickly-taken free-kick released Darren Alexander and the former Rocester centre-forward hit a low shot which Solly did well to keep out at the near post. Damien Charie headed over and Tolley fired wide as United continued to try and get back on level terms. Substitute Alfie Carter, caused problems for his former club, and he delivered a dangerous low cross that Alex Gibson cleared at the expense of a corner.

However, Stafford survived and scored a second goal in the 62nd minute. Powell fed Robin Gibson and the resulting shot may have lacked power but deceived Taylor on its way into the net with the aid of a deflection off Tom Barnett.

Stafford though they had added a third three minutes later. Thomson put the ball into the bet only to be denied by a raised assistant referee’s flag for offside.

Despite substitutions at regular intervals, the game remained non-the-less entertaining. Dave Walker sent a low ball across the face of the United goal which Leon Drysdale cleared as unmarked Danny Edwards ran in at the far post. From the resulting corner, Liam Murray turned and fired inches over.

Near the end, Stafford could have added a third goal. Found by Walker, Edwards crossed low towards unmarked Nathan Talbott in front of goal who was denied a clear shot by Damian Charie’s tackle.

Stafford Rangers (black and white strips / black / blakc): 1. Lewis Solly, 2. Paul Groves, 3. Nathan Talbott, 4. Liam Murray, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 6. Levi Reid, 7. Lee Downes, 8. Neil Grayson, 9. Vill Powell, 10. Peter Thomson, 11. Robin Gibson. Subs: 12. Danny Edwards (for Thomson, 71), 14. Dave Walker (for Grayson, 77), 15. Alex Gibson (for Daniel, 43), 16. Alex Gibbons (for Reid, 62), 16. Gary Fife (for R. Gibson, 77), 17. Nathan Smith (for Powell, 77), 17. Chris Milliard (not used), 18. Dave Woodvine (not used), 19gk. Will Smith(not used).

AFC Telford United (sky blue / navy blue / navy blue): 1. Steve Taylor, 2. Leon Drysdale, 3. Tom Griffin, 4. Duane Courtney (capt), 5. Gary Price, 6. Tom Barnett, 7. Roy Jordan, 8. Damien Charie, 9. Kyle Perry, 10. Darren Alexander, 11. Glenn Tolley. Subs: 12. Bruce Wheeler (for Tolley, 68), 14. Craig Ryan (for Jordan, 68), 15. Liam Turner (for Perry, 73), 16. Dale Williams (for Griffin, 68), X. Alfie Carter (for Alexander, 59), X. Neil Howarth (for Price, ht).

Referee: Terry Holbrook (Wolverhampton).

Goals:
1-0 Vill Powell (29)
2-0 Robin Gibson (62)

Cards:
Stafford: none
AFC Telford: none

Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Stafford Rangers 3

Tuesday 2nd August 2005
Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Stafford Rangers 3
Pre-Season Friendly
At: Coles Lane
Kick-off: 7-30 pm
Programme: none
Attendance: 110 (headcount)
Weather: bright, mild
Duration: first-half: 45:05; second-half: 46:50

Stafford Rangers got back to winning ways with a comfortable victory at Coles Lane. Peter Thomson and skipper Wayne Daniel both found the net during the opening 16 minutes and substitute Gary Fife added a third goal shortly before the full-time whistle.

With several key players resting injuries, including new signing Vill Powell, Stafford player-manager Phil Robinson named an experimental side which included former Port Vale midfielder Levi Reid. Liam Murray, a trialist from Shrewsbury Town, also played the whole game as Daniel’s partner in the heart of the defence.

Sutton, from the Southern League Western Division outfit, were lacking their injured former Stafford midfielder David Berks.

Rangers got the game underway attacking the social club end in the first half and survived a couple of early scares. Will Smith got down to turn round a narrow-angled shot from Damian Markham and Darren Mashingham headed wide at the far post from the resulting corner.

However, Stafford took the lead in the 12th minute. Danny Edwards delivered a deep cross which Neil Grayson headed down for Peter Thomson to stab home his first Boro goal at close range.

Further chances followed. Daniel headed against the Sutton bar and Grayson sent another header wide but it was no surprise when the lead was extended in the 17th minute. Home keeper Tony Breedon turned round Levi Reid’s low 25-yard drive and captain Wayne Daniel put away a first-time header from the resulting corner.

Rangers continued to dominate with Dave Walker and Reid narrowly missing the target. Breedon pulled off another good save to keep out a long-range effort from Lee Downes.

Sutton made a bright start to the second half against an unchanged Stafford line-up. And despite Robinson calling for his side to “buzz again”, the home side almost reduced the deficit 11 minutes after the restart. Rory May hit a spectacular shot from outside the area which flew over Will Smith only for the ball to rebound off the bar. Nathan Moran also sent a header inches over.

Rangers finished the game on the attack and the lively Nathan Smith forced a save out of Sutton’s replacement keeper Dale Belford. Eventually in the 89th minute, good work from Nathan Smith set up Gary Fife who slotted home from a narrow angle.

Sutton were denied a consolation goal in injury time when Chris Milliard pulled off an amazing goal-line clearance to keep out a header from Darren Massingham.

Sutton Coldfield Town (blue/blue/blue): 1. Tony Breedon, 2. Jon Branch, 3. Craig Hancox, 4. Lucan Spittle, 5. Nathan Moran (capt), 6. Danny Haines, 7. Craig Owen, 8. Darren Massingham, 9. Rory May, 10. Damian Markman, 11. Liam Hibbert. Subs: 12. Justin Rowe (for Markman, 63), 14. Trialist (for Owen, 73), 15. Trialist (for Hibbert, 71), 16. John Daniels (for Haines, ht), 17. Trialist (for Branch, ht), X. Andy Ling, GK. Dale Belford (for Breedon, 54), 11. Liam Hibbert (returned for May, 85)

Stafford Rangers (red/red/red): 1. Will Smith, 2. Paul Groves, 3. Nathan Talbott, 4. Liam Murray, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 6. Levi Reid, 7. Lee Downes, 8. Neil Grayson, 9. Peter Thomson, 10. Dave Walker, 11. Danny Edwards. Subs: 12. Fife (for Thomson, 63), 14. Alex Gibson (for Groves, 63), 15. Nathan Smith (for Walker, 63), 16. Chris Milliard (for Edwards, 77), 17. Alex Gibbons (for Reid, 68), X. Dave Woodwine (for Grayson, 81), GK. Lewis Solly (not used).

Referee: Danny Gratton.

Goals:
0-1 Peter Thomson (12)
0-2 Wayne Daniel (17)
0-3 Gary Fife (89)

Cards:
Sutton: none
Stafford: none