Stevenage Borough 6 Stafford Rangers 0
Nationwide Conference
At: Broadhall Way
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 1708
Weather: -
Ten-man Stafford Rangers suffered their heaviest league defeat since 1994. Midfielder Ged Murphy was sent off for retaliation in the 20th minute after being initially fouled by Barry Fuller.
There was drama before kick-off as the referee decided that the new white shirts taken to Broadhall Way clashed with Stevenage’s shirts. As a result Rangers took the field in an unfamiliar sky blue kit borrowed from the home side.
Stevenage went ahead in the 25th minute. George Boyd, who ended up scoring a hat-trick, got on the end of Jason Goodliffe’s cross and scored with the aid of a deflection. He added a second nine minutes later. Dean Williams did well to thwart former England International Steve Guppy but Boyd forced the ball home.
Stafford found it difficult to get forward and conceded two more goals before in the interval. In the 43rd minute, a cross-cum-shot from Craig Dodson from out on the right wing flew over Williams on its way into the roof of the net. Then in injury time, Williams couldn’t hold a low cross from Adam Miller and Steve Morison scored at close range.
Phil Robinson shuffled his side at the interval with Brian Quailey coming on as a lone striker and a changed formation. The switch certainly looked to have helped give Stafford a confidence boost as Nathan Talbott, fit after missing the previous trip to York, saw a shot blocked by a defender. Neil Grayson also volleyed wide from Talbott’s near-post cross.
But Rangers had no answer when Stevenage, one of the pre-season promotion favourites, added their fifth and sixth goals just after the hour mark in the 61st and 63rd minutes. Boyd completed his hat-trick with a shot into the roof of the net from 15 yards out and Dobson scored his second goal of the game with a close-range shot. It could have been even worse. Williams tipped over another rising shot from Boyd and Morison also hit the post.
Kevin Street got in a late long-range shot near the end but Alan Julian made a comfortable save with Brian Quailey closing in to take advantage of any slip by the home keeper.
Christian Dacres, promoted from the County Senior League ‘A’ team, made his debut as a late substitute.
Stevenage Borough (white and red shirts/red/red): Alan Julian; Jason Goodliffe, Luke Oliver (capt) Dos Santos Gaia, John Nutter; Craig Dobson, Barry Fuller, Adam Miller, Steve Guppy; Steve Morison, George Boyd. Subs: Mark Beard (for Fuller, 73), Chris Sullivan (for Boyd, 77), Dwayne Lee (for Miller, 86), Darryn Stamp, Danny Potter.
Stafford Rangers (sky blue/black/black): Dean Williams; Mark Bailey, Craig McAughtrie, Wayne Daniel (capt), Nathan Talbott; Robin Gibson, Ged Murphy, Lee Downes, Kevin Street; Neil Grayson, Guy Madjo. Subs: Liam Murray (for Bailey, 29), Brian Quailey (for Madjo, ht), Christian Dacres (for Grayson, 84), Dolapo Olaoye, Danny Alcock.
Referee: M. Ball.
Attendance: 1708.
