Stafford Rangers 1 Tamworth 0

Emirates FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round

Saturday 16 September 2017

Rangers decide their recent poor form to create an FA Cup upset , knocking out National League North outfit Tamworth.

Rangers were without three key figures with Kieran Morris and Levi Reid injured and Richard Batchelor attending a wedding but those players who came in were more than up to the job.

It was a fairly even affair and there was little to choose between the two sides. Tamworth threatened first through Bradley Reid who, with his back to goal, hooked the ball over the bar.

Rangers responded through Dan Westwood who fired tamely across the Tamworth box.

The visitors threatened again when Callum Powell linked up with Darryl Knights but Adam Whitehouse was quick to spot the danger and raced out of his area to clear.

For Rangers, Izak Reid and new boy Osebi Abadaki were causing Tamworth some problems on the right but both players failed to make the most of chances that came their way when well placed.

In between, Tamworth’s Reid spurned a good chance when he delivered a tame shot from 30 yards when he could have advanced towards the Rangers area.

Tamworth looked a little luckier immediately after the break and Knights landed a free kick on the roof of the Rangers net.

At the other end, a well struck drive from Jack Langston forced the visiting keeper Dan Jezeph into his first real save of the afternoon.

A quick Tamworth counter ended with Powell’s shot from the edge of the area clipping the top of the Rangers bar then a centre from Steph Morley evaded all as it bounced across the 6 yard box.

But it was Rangers who broke the deadlock on 63 mins. Osebi Abadaki outfoxed Jack Lane on the right before and his cross as met by Izak Reid whose header went in via the underside of the bar.

Whitehouse had to save well from Powell a few minutes later but the expected onslaught from Tamworth failed to materialise.

Instead, Rangers could have added a second in added time but the attack fizzled out unlike the celebrations that began in the home camp a couple of minutes later as Rangers reached the 3rd qualifying round for the first time in 10 years.

Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Sam Griffiths, 3 Jordaan Brown, 4 Exodus Geohaghon, 5 Mat Bailey, 6 Jack Langston, 7 Osebi Abadaki (17 Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson 76m), 8 Jack Sherratt, 9 Dan Westwood (12 Richard Gregory 87m), 10 Louis Bricoe, 11 Izak Reid (14 Kai Davis 90+4m). Unused subs: 13 Brad Caswell, 15 Kieren Westwood, 16 Joe Thomas.

Tamworth: 1 Dan Jezeph, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Steph Morley, 4 Ellis Deeney, 5 Luke Jones, 6 Jack Lane (12 Mat Curley 61m), 7 Callum Powell, 8 Aman Verma, 9 Bradley Reid, 10 Regan Upton, 11 Darryl Knights (16 Connor Taylor 67m). Unused subs: 13 Max Beardmore, 14 Chandler Pegg, 15 Dexter Walters, 17 Louis Ezewele, 18 Charlie Shaw.

Cautions: Brown, Reid, Briscoe (Rangers), Deeney, Lane (Tamworth)

Referee Aaron Jackson

Att782