Blue Square Premier
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 905
Manager Steve Bull MBE was generally pleased with the performance even though Rangers suffered defeat to second-half goals scored by Tim Sills and Roscoe D'Sane.
The Rangers starting line-up showed four changes. Neil Grayson and new signing Nick Wellecombe were paired in attack and both Alex Gibson and Chris Flynn returned in midfield.
A strong wind blew down the pitch towards the Town End and Stafford looked to make use of it in the first half. Torquay, on their first visit to Marston Road, got the game underway attacking the Social Club end.
Stafford pressed forward during the opening exchanges and Kevin Street fired over from well outside the area. Steve Hopkinson drove straight at Simon Raynor from 30 yards out and Street sent another shot wide of the right-hand post. Gibson crossed from the right and Grayson flicked a header wide at the far post. Rangers were awarded a free-kick 35 yards out which Matt Hazley shot straight at Raynor.
Torquay were denied a goal in the 13th minute by Danny Alcock. Jody Banim, previously with Droylsden, put Sills clear but the Stafford keeper dived to his right to push away the resulting low shot.
Bull was forced to make his first substitution in the 17th minute when Marco Adaggio came on for Grayson who suffered a back injury.
The visitors continued to threaten and Alcock needed to block a shot from Lee Phillips. Midway through the half, Kevin Nicholson crossed from the left to Sills who turned and hit a rising shot that Alcock held.
Street saw a low drive deflected for a corner but Torquay soon got forward again. Sills headed straight at Alcock and sent a similar effort wide from Banim's cross. Wayne Daniel did well to cut out Steve Adams' dangerous low cross at the expense of a corner.
Mark Ellis was the next player to try and break the deadlock, firing a left-foot shot over from a narrow angle, having stayed up with the attack following a set-piece. Alcock bravely blocked a shot from Chris Hargreaves while Sills ran in to header inches over from the resulting corner.
In the 41st minute, Djoumin Sangare was booked for a foul on Phillips before Stafford finished the half on the attack. Wellecombe forced the first of two corners and also saw a rsing shot held by Raynor in first-half stoppage time.
Less than a minute of the second half had elapsed when Chris Zebroski, on the right, drove towards goal from a narrow angle and Alcock saved.
But Torquay took the lead in the 48th minute. Nicholson delivered a right-wing corner to the far post where Sills headed home into the roof of the net.
The visitors looked for another goal. Banim's shot was deflected out for a corner from which Sills saw a header blocked on the line. Sills' follow-up shot went over. Banim was booked in the 54th minute for a foul on Richie Sutton.
On the hour, Raynor held a speculative long-range effort from Wellecome before Rangers replaced Steve Hopkinson with Ross Draper in the 63rd minute. Torquay also made a change in the 68th minute with Kaid Mohamed coming on for Zebroski.
Alcock was in outstanding form and kept out a close-range shot from Bamin with his boot. The same player thumped a 25-yard drive straight at Alcock from Phillips' pass.
Wellecombe enjoyed an encouraging debut and wasn't too far away with an overhead kick.
Both side made further changes in the 74th minute. Samy Mawene replaced Hazley and D'Sane replaced Phillips.
With just a one-goal deficit, Stafford were always in with a chance of snatching a point, especially as Torquay continued to miss their scoring opportunities. Ellis headed wide at the far post while Alcock held a 20-yard shot from D'Sane. Banim set up Sills who just missed the target and Gibson cleared.
In the 88th minute, Rangers appealed for a penalty when Mawene was brought down by Chris Todd. Mawene was booked for protesting too strongly. Wellecombe tested Raynor and the keeper had to dive to his left to keep out a low 20-yard shot.
But any hope that Stafford had of salvaging a point ended just before the start of injury time. Torquay broke down the right and Alcock did well to keep out Sills' header. The ball looped kindly into the path of D'Sane who volleyed home.
Matt Hockley replaced Nicholson and, in stoppage time, Alcock tipped over Bamin's rsing drive from Sills's knock-down.
Teams
Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes / black / black): 1. Danny Alcock, 2. Richie Sutton, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 6. Djoumin Sangare, 38. Alex Gibson, 8. Kevin Street, 24. Steve Hopkinson, 7. Chris Flynn, 37. Matt Hazley, 42. Nick Wellecombe, 9. Neil Grayson. Subs: 20. Marco Adaggio (for Grayson, 17), 17. Ross Draper (for Hopkinson, 63), 22. Samy Mawene (for Hazley, 74), 30. Ishmale Reid, 33. Danny Allen (gk)
Torquay United (yellow / yellow/ yellow): 1. Simon Raynor, 7. Lee Mansell, 6. Chris Todd, 25. Mark Ellis, 3. Kevin Nicholson, 26. Chris Zebroski, 24. Steve Adams, 14. Chris Hargreaves (capt), 12. Jody Banim, 8. Tim Sills, 10. Lee Phillips. Subs: 23. Kaid Mohamed (for Zebroski, 67), 20. Roscoe D'Sane (for Phillips, 74), 16. Matt Hockely (for Nicholson, 90), 9. Elliot Benyon, 21. Martin Rice (gk)
Referee: M. A. Naylor (South Yorkshire)
Attendance: 905 (inc 342 away fans)
This match report was originally written for and published on the now defunct www.staffordrangers.co.uk
