Stafford Rangers 0 Burton Albion 3
Blue Square Premier
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 1679
Weather: bright, dry, windy
Stafford never recovered from a three-goal blast from Burton in the closing stages of the first half following the dismissal of Chris Flynn. Mark Greaves opened the scoring in the 34th minute and Jake Edwards added two more just before the interval The Stafford side was unchanged as Djimi Sangare hadn't sufficiently recovered from his ankle injury to play any part. Luke Potter played his last game on loan from Barnsley.
What was turning out to be a finally-balanced local derby turned dramatically in favour of Burton in the 27th minute. Chris Flynn had every right to go for a throughball played low into the area as Kevin Poole bravely raced off his line to dive at the feet of the Boro midfielder. With no intent to hurt the veteran keeper, Flynn caught Poole in the face with his boot and, perhaps, it was inevitable that the referee would provide a straight red card. Poole received treatment for a facial cut and was able to continue.
Burton took the lead in the 34th minute. John McGrath floated a free-kick from the left towards the far post which looked to be curling out. Mark Greaves somehow managed rise above Ross Draper to head across the face of goal from a very narrow angle and in at the far post.The lead was doubled in the 44th minute again from a set piece. Jake Edwards met McGrath's inswinging corner delivered from the right with a glancing header which dropped in at the left-hand post.
Edwards struck again in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. Again McGrath was the supplier with a near-post free-kick from the left which the striker stabbed home at close range. Play resumed for barely a second before the referee brought proceeding to a halt.
Rangers set out to keep a clean sheet in the second half and try and make inroads into Burton's three-goal lead. They succeeded with the clean sheet but were unlucky not to find the net.
Just after the hour mark, Neil Grayson was unlucky to see a shot cleared off the line and Wayne Daniel fired straight at Poole from 10 yards out.
Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes/black/black): 1. Danny Alcock; 2. Richie Sutton, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 21. Jemiah Richards, 32. Luke Potter; 8. Kevin Street, 22. Samy Mawene, 17. Ross Draper, 7. Chris Flynn; 10. David McNiven, 9. Neil Grayson. Subs: 30. Seb Hamilton (for Street, 76), 16. Tom Ingram (for Mawene, 80) ,24. Steve Hopkinson (for Draper, 88), 19. Sebastian Arnolin, 33. Danny Allen (gk).
Burton Albion (sky blue with white sleeves/sky blue/white): 1. Kevin Poole; 17. John Brayford, 4. Mark Greaves (capt), 5. Tony James, 3. Aaron Webster; 2, Andy Corbett, 24. Michael Simpson, 6. John McGrath, 18. Dave Farrell; 9. Jake Edwards, 14. Shaun Harrad. Subs: 7. Darren Stride (for Greaves, ht), 8. Marc Goodfellow (for Brayford, ht), 10. Daryl Clare (for Harrad, 65), Keith Gilroy, 30, Saul Deeney (gk).
Referee: G. J. Sutton (Lincoln)
This match report was originally written for and published on the now defunct www.staffordrangers.co.uk
