Tamworth 2 Stafford Rangers 1
Staffs Senior Cup first round
At: The Lamb
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Attendance: 178
Weather: -
Having reached the semi-finals or better in each of the previous four seasons, Stafford suffered an early exit this time round. The scoreline doesn’t tell the full story as it was Tamworth’s first team that defeated a Stafford team showing 11 changes from the starting line-up against Woking. And the Rangers side that played at the Lamb won plenty of praise from Phil Robinson.
Tamworth took the lead in the 42nd minute. Storer drilled a low shot into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area. A superb 20-yard free kick from Oldfield, curled into the top right corner, brought Stafford back to level terms in the 55th minute. Edwards almost gave Rangers the lead when an angled shot across the face of the home goal rebounded off the inside of the post.
However, Tamworth scored the winner in the 63rd minute. Burton gave Brown no chance of keeping out a deflected drive that flew into the top corner. Hopkinson almost sent the tie into extra time with a late shot that Lambs’ keeper Clarke turned round at the near post.
Tamworth (red/red/red): David Clarke; Simon Weaver (capt), Tom Kemp, Ryan Laight; Bradley Thomas, Adie Smith, Kyle Storer, Gavin McAllum; Steve Burton, Jon Stevenson, Matt Williams. Subs: Graham Ward (for Williams, 15), Joe Kendrick (for Kemp, 32), Michael Tuohy (for Weaver, 55), Jon McGrath, Thomas Harban.
Stafford Rangers (black and white/black/black): Chris Brown; Alex Gibson, Ed Booth, Liam Murray (capt), Matt Skinner; Steve Hopkinson, David Oldfield, Christian Dacres, Danny Edwards; Brian Quailey, Dolapo Olaoye. Subs: Alex Gibbons, André Francis (for Edwards, 71), Jemiah Richards, Ricardo Wilks (for Dacres, 81), Lee Scott (for Quailey, 88).
Referee: Rob Merchant (Stone).
Attendance: 178.
