Monday 17th April 2006

Stafford Rangers 3 Lancaster City 0
Nationwide North
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 943
Weather: -


Danny Edwards, Craig Lovatt and Grayson all went close before the latter opened the scoring on 25 minutes. Nathan Talbott, found in space on the left by Edwards, crossed low into the area and Grayson gave Anthony McMillan no chance of keeping out a well-struck shot.

Rangers continued to cause all sorts of problems for the visitors defence and doubled their lead on 43 minutes. Kevin Street played the ball into the six-yard box and Gibson forced it home.

Lancaster rallied at the start of the second half and Dean Williams pulled off a great diving save to keep out a header from Kevin Brown.

Lee Downes and Grayson both missed good chances to further extend the lead while City’s Mike Eckersley fired across the face of the Rangers goal.

It was Grayson who scored the third on 73 minutes, converting a pass from Street.

The outcome was never in doubt after that goal went in and Robinson was able to bring off Grayson, Street and Talbott before the end; each player received rapturous applause from the 943-strong crowd.

Stafford Rangers: Williams, Sutton, Talbott, McAughtrie, Daniel, Lovatt, Downes, Street, Grayson, Edwards, R. Gibson. Subs: Murray (for Talbott, 86), P. McMahon, N. Smith, Pope (for Grayson, 79), Reid (for Street, 82).

Lancaster City: Anthony McMillan, Mike Eckersley, Andy Scott, Kevin Brown, Joe McMahon, Ryan Elderton, Stephen Skinner, Steve Smith, Alex Taylor, Matt Bailey, Griff Jones. Sub: Tony Sullivan (for Skinner, 78), Joe Feeney (for Taylor, 78), Lee Foxcroft (for Elderton, 81), Gary Finley.

Sponsors’ Man of the Match: Neil Grayson.

Referee: M. Heywood (Northwich).
Attendance: 943.

Saturday 15th April 2006

Moor Green 0 Stafford Rangers 1
Nationwide North
At: Danson Park
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 393
Weather: -

For the third match in a row, Stafford left it late to find the back of the net and this time it was substitute Paul McMahon who scored after 84 minutes. Neil Grayson broke down the left, stayed onside and found Peter Thomson who had an initial shot blocked on the line. The recent signing from Hednesford reacted to tap in his first Rangers goal. Moor Green included three ex-Stafford players – Ben Petty, Darren Middleton and Andy Penny.

Moor Green: Ashley Timms, Richard Scott, Philip Midworth, Lee Collins (capt), Guy Sanders, Ben Petty, David Morrison, Dale Anderson, Peter Faulds, Gary McPhee, Phil Trainer. Subs: Darren Middleton (for Morrison, 72), Chris Nurse (for Petty, 72), David Bridgwater, Junior English, Andy Penny (for Scott, 88).

Stafford Rangers: Williams, Groves, Talbott, McAughtrie, Daniel, Reid, Downes, Street, Grayson, Smith, R. Gibson. Subs: Lovatt, Murray (for Groves, 74), McMahon (for Reid, 74), Thomson (for Smith, ht), Sutton.

Referee: P. Caswell (Leicester).
Attendance: 393.

Tuesday 11th April 2006

Workington 0 Stafford Rangers 1
Nationwide North
At: Borough Park
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Attendance: 495
Weather: -


Stafford Rangers returned from the long midweek trip to Workington with all three points. But the fans who made it to Borough Park had to wait until 83 minutes for the winner. Paul McMahon low crossed into the area and Neil Grayson fired past Adam Collin from eight yards out.

Workington (red/red/red): Adam Collin, David Hewson, Marc Green, Kyle May, Alan Gray, Matt Henney, Gary Prosser, Steve Birks, Craig Johnston, Graham Goulding, Tom Cowan. Subs: Darren Edmondson, Dan Dillon (for Cowan, 75), Gareth Arnison, Wayne Gordon (for Goulding, 65), Craig Summersgill.

Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes / black / black): 1. Dean Williams, 2. Paul Groves, 3. Nathan Talbott, 4. Craig McAughtrie, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 6. Craig Lovatt, 7. Lee Downes, 8. Kevin Street, 9. Neil Grayson, 10. Nathan Smith, 11. Tom Pope. Subs: Murray, Reid (for Lovatt, 70), McMahon (for Pope, 54), Edwards, Thomson (for Smith, 75).

Referee: D Handley (Wigan).

Saturday 8th April 2006

Gainsborough Trinity 1 Stafford Rangers 1
Nationwide North
At: Northolme
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 418

Wednesday 5th April 2006

Stafford Rangers Reserves 2 Nuneaton Borough Res 2
Central Conference
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Attendance: 26
Weather: -

Youth team player Mike Weston scored twice as the Reserves came from behind to defeat a strong Nuneaton Borough side. The visitors took the lead after just three minutes through David Blenkinsopp. After Weston replaced the injured Danny Edwards, Rangers got back on 17 minutes. Paul McMahon chased a long ball down the right, pulled it back low for Pat Bannister to net at close range. Nuneaton, needing a win to secure the Central Conference title, regained the lead after 36 minutes with a low drive from Tom Breward.

Weston scored Rangers’ second equaliser of the evening when he bravely scored with a low shot from just inside the area and was injured in the process. Mike Winstanley and Lee Collymore replaced Levi Reid and McMahon on 69 minutes. Three minutes later, Jackson pulled off a great save to turn round a curling free kick from Stuart Whittaker that was heading for the top-left corner. Substitute Collymore made an impact by setting up what proved to be the winner on 76 minutes. He flicked the ball into the path of Weston who gave Ryan Poole no chance with a rising shot that flew over the Nuneaton keeper and dipped under the bar.

Saturday 1st April 2006

Stafford Rangers 3 Barrow 1
Nationwide North
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 956

Tuesday 28th March 2006

Stafford Rangers 1 Kettering Town 3
Nationwide North
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Attendance: 745
Weather: -

Both sides finished with ten men after controversy reigned in Tuesday’s game at Marston Road. Under the new lights, Kettering took the lead on 42 minutes. A rising shot from Andy Hall bounced down onto the line from the underside of the bar and the assistant referee indicated goal.

Stafford levelled on 50 minutes when Robin Gibson headed home a cross from Peter Thomson but Kettering regained the lead on the hour. Nathan Koo-Boothe rose to send a looping header past Dean Williams from Hall’s deep free-kick.

Gibson (79 minutes) and Hall (82 minutes) were both dismissed with a second yellow card before the game’s biggest talking point occurred on 86 minutes. Craig McAughtrie saw a shot cleared off the line (or was it from behind the line?) and Kettering quickly broke upfield. Ryan Zico-Black beat Williams with a low shot from 15 yards.

New signing Paul McMahon from Hednesford Town made his debut as a second-half substitute.

Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes/black/black): Williams, Groves, Talbott, McAughtrie, Daniel (capt), Lovatt, Murray, Street, Thomson, Smith, R. Gibson. Subs: Edwards, Reid (for Murray, 63), McMahon (for Thomson, 81), Downes, A. Gibson.

Kettering Town (red/red/red): Mark Osborn, Wayne Diuk, Liam Nicell, David Theobald, Craig McIlwain (capt), Nathan Koo-Boothe, Ollie Burgess, Brett Solkhon, Anthony Elding, Ryan Zico-Black, Andy Hall. Subs: Junior McDougald, Patrick Peter, Moses Olaleye (for Burgess, 54), Staffan Morley, Nick Bussey.

Goals: Hall (42), Gibson (50), Koo-Boothe (60), Zico-Black (87).

Sponsors’ Man of the Match: Kevin Street.

Referee: S. J. Cook (Belper).
Attendance: 745.