Stafford Rangers 0 Exeter City 1
Nationwide Conference
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 970
Stafford Rangers could not be faulted for effort but it was visitors Exeter City who took the points with a first-half winner scored by Lee Phillips.
Stafford boss Phil Robinson gave a debut to 20-year-old former Aldershot and Crawley midfielder Sean Ridgway who looked to make an immediate impact. He went for a goal with a low drive from well outside the area which had City’s recalled goalkeeper Paul Jones scrambling to his left to claim.
Anthony Griffith, playing his second game on loan, also tired his luck from outside the area but missed the target by a wide margin.
The first real chance of the game was created by the battling Guy Madjo on the quarter-hour mark. He had an initial effort blocked on the edge of the area by defender Steve Tully and got in a second shot which the diving Paul Jones turned round at the expense of the game’s first corner.
Exeter, on their first-ever visit to Marston Road, should have taken the lead in the 22nd minute. Wayne Carlisle found space on the right and delivered a low cross which Phillips drove over from no more than eight yards out with Daniel in close attention.
The Grecians stepped up their game and skipper Chris Todd headed wide at the far post from the third of three successive corners.
A defensive error led to Exeter scoring what proved to be the winner in the 29th minute. Lee Elam headed the ball forward to Phillips, marked by Daniel, who poked it into an empty net from well outside the area past Alcock who had rushed off his line.
The goal gave the visitors a boost and Elam and Phillips combined to set up Jon Challinor who saw a shot blocked.
City went agonisingly close to a second goal in the 38th minute. Carlisle beat the diving Alcock with a sweet drive only to see the ball rebound off the left-hand post.
Rangers had their goalkeeper to thank for a top-draw save four minutes later. Elam and Phillips were again involved as Challinor sent a rising drove heading for the top left corner. But Alcock leapt to his left to push the ball away to safety.
Just before the interval, Stafford were awarded a free kick 30 yards out for a foul on Grayson. Craig McAughtrie’s shot got through the wall but Paul Jones gathered up.
A groin injury picked up by Richie Sutton during the first half forced Robinson into a change at the interval. Ged Murphy came on and Griffith dropped to fill the vacant right-back spot.
Less than a minute after the restart, Challinor’s lob drop just over an unguarded net.
Rangers had a good appeal for a penalty turned down when Grayson went down under Todd’s challenge.
The Stafford manager also introduced another midfielder early in the second half. Levi Reid, who rejoined the club the previous day, and Murphy both had a positive impact on Stafford’s rallying second-half showing.
Levi Reid looks to beat Exeter’s Lee Elam
Doing plenty of attacking, Stafford had a better shout for a penalty also turned down after Paul Buckle appeared to handle inside the area.
The home side created the bulk of the chances and Reid drove inches wide from the edge of the area. Moments before being replaced by another new face, David McNiven on-loan from Morecambe, Danny Edwards fired across the face of goal and wide of the far post.
And McNiven almost scored with his first touch. From a position outside the area on the left, he got in a looping shot which the leaping Paul Jones did well to hold underneath the bar.
Murphy was the next man to go for goal with a left-foot shot that flew over the bar after good work by Madjo.
However, Exeter remained a threat and Challinor wasn’t too far wide with a first-time volley.
The lively Reid could have levelled in the 80th minute. McAughtrie knocked a long Griffith free kick into the path of the substitute but Billy Jones got in the way of a well-struck shot.
With time running out, Murphy’s long throw was headed down by Grayson to Reid who fired over from just outside the area.
Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes/black/black): Danny Alcock, Richie Sutton, Wayne Daniel (capt), Craig McAughtrie, Nathan Talbott, Anthony Griffith, Craig Lovatt, Sean Ridgway, Danny Edwards, Guy Madjo, Neil Grayson. Subs: Ged Murphy (for Sutton, ht), Levi Reid (for Ridgway, 50), David McNiven (for Edwards, 62), Robin Gibson, Liam Murray.
Exeter City (blue/blue/blue): Paul Jones, Steve Tully, Rob Edwards, Chris Todd (capt), Billy Jones, Wayne Carlisle, Paul Buckle, Matt Gill, Lee Elam, Jon Challinor, Lee Phillips. Subs: Bertrand Cozic (for Gill, 75), Martin Rice, Jamie Mackie, Jon Richardson, Richard Logan).
Referee: Paul Varley (West Yorkshire).
Attendance: 970 (inc 254 away fans).
