Stourbridge 0 – 0 Stafford Rangers

Apr 27, 2018 | Club News

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Thursday 26 April 2018

Rangers’ penultimate game of the season saw them pick up a deserved point in a goalless draw at Stourbridge on Thursday evening.

For an end of season encounter where pride and a minor league place was all that was at stake it was a fairly entertaining encounter. It was the second game in 48 hours after the Staffs Senior Cup Final success on Tuesday and both Josh Craddock and Levi Reid were feeling the effects and could only take a notional place on the subs bench while Jordaan Brown was absent for personal reasons.

Rangers were presented with a golden opportunity inside the first minute as Stuart Pierpoint body checked Kyle Perry but Robert Thompson-Brown’s free kick took a deflection off the Stourbridge wall and went just off target. The first effort from the home side came some five minutes later via route one. Luke Benbow managed to win possession to collect a long free kick from keeper Matt Gould only to drag his shot wide from around 25 yards out.

After a lively start, things quietened down somewhat although the home side did manage to go close on 18 mins when Benbow’s free kick glanced off the head of Nicu Carnat but Adam Whitehouse reacted well to take the ball just under his crossbar. Benbow was then in the thick of the action at the other end with a well timed tackle to halt a threatening run from Tyrell Waite as the Stafford man burst into the Stour area.

Jack Sherratt tried his luck with a couple of long range efforts but neither really troubled Gould although the Stour keeper did have to watch carefully as the second of these went just wide. The nearest either side came to a goal in the first half was just before half time when a Alex Cameron charged down Adam Whitehouse’s clearance but the ball ricocheted over the Stafford crossbar.

Stour came closer still four minutes into the second half when Benbow hit the post after an attack down the left from Carnat. The impressive youngster went close himself a couple of minutes later with a shot just wide of Whitehouse’s right hand post. In reply, Osebi Abadaki launched an attack down the Rangers left which nearly put Massiah McDonald but his path to goal was blocked by Aaron Forde.

The home side pressed again and Dan Vann had to clear off the line from Cameron. Chris Gallagher found himself in a great position but was denied by an excellent save from Whitehouse. Rangers enjoyed a good spell around the hour mark. Sherratt fired over from a tight angle while McDonald and Abadaki were blocked by Pierpoint and McCone respectively. Gould didn’t have too much to do. He did make one excellent save although Perry had already been flagged offside.

Stour responded. Whitehouse kept out a low drive from Benbow then saved well with his feet after Brad Birch had made a solo break.

Chances continued to come at both ends of the pitch. For Rangers, Perry totally miscued a header when he got free of his man following Sherratt’s corner then Leon Broadhurst blazed wide from Forde’s corner for Stour. Both sides continued to look for a late winner with Perry missing the best of the chances as he planted his close range header over the Stour crossbar.

Stourbridge: 1 Matt Gould, 2 Brad Birch, 3 Aaron Hayden, 4 Paul McCone, 5 Stuart Pierpoint, 6 Aaron Forde, 7 Chris Gallagher (17 Edilson Antonio 71m), 8 Leon Broadhurst, 9 Luke Benbow, 10 Alex Cameron (16 Louis Hall 65m), 11 Nicu Carnat (12 Brandon Hague 79m). Unused Subs: 14 Luke Shearer, 15 Josh Cooke.

Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Sam Griffiths, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Kai Davis, 5 Dan Vann, 6 Jack Sherratt, 7 Osebi Abadaki, 8 Robert Thompson-Brown, 9 Kyle Perry, 10 Tyrell Waite (16 Joe Thomas 74m), 11 Massiah McDonald. Unused Subs: 12 Josh Craddock, 14 Levi Reid, 15 Ben Chilcott, 17 Lucas Burnett.

Cautions: Hayden, Forde (Stourbridge) Thompson-Brown (Rangers)

Referee: Richard Gardner

Att: 368

Chris Elsley

Stafford Rangers 3 – 2 Hednesford Town

Apr 26, 2018 | Club News

Staffs Senior Cup Final

Tuesday 24 April 2018

Stafford Rangers won the Staffordshire Senior Cup for the 12th time with a thrilling win over their arch rivals Hednesford Town at Stoke City’s Bet365 Stadium.

Adam Whitehouse – making his 200th appearance for the club – was in fine form, making a number of crucial saves to keep Rangers in the game. On a perfect playing surface, the final got off to a cautious opening 10 minutes with little of note apart from a late challenge from Robert Thompson-Brown on Hednesford left back Darren Campion that earned the Stafford man a caution.

Otherwise, the best Hednesford could come up with was an inswinging centre from Campion which was just too far ahead of front man Danny Glover while, for Stafford, a counter saw Massiah McDonald’s low centre cut out as Tyrell Waite looked set to pounce. But Rangers grabbed the advantage on 14 mins when Jack Sherratt picked up possession some 25 yards out and struck a sweet left footer in to the top left corner of the net. Hednesford keeper James Wren was unmoved.

Hednesford responded well putting Rangers under pressure with Whitehouse just getting his fingertips to a low drive from James Lawrie and Reece King heading the resulting corner on to the roof of the net. The unmarked Glover then looked set to fire home an equaliser when Anthony Dwyer’s centre found its way to him on the penalty spot but Whitehouse saved well with his legs.

Just after the half hour mark James Fitzgibbon’s shot glanced off the top of Jordaan Brown’s head after he had cut in from the right. Hednesford kept up the pressure from the resulting corner and the ball came out to Dwyer on the left hand side of the area he picked out his spot beyond Whitehouse’s left hand to level on 32 mins.

Although Kyle Perry went close to restoring Rangers’ lead a couple of minutes later, it was Hednesford who continued to look the most likely to add to the scoring and Whitehouse was called upon to keep the scores level when he saved from Glover. Ben Bailey headed over from the corner. But Rangers had a great chance to restore the lead just before half time when Perry glanced Thompson-Brown’s free kick goalwards forcing King to head off the line.

Hednesford were first to get a look in after the break when a poor pass in defence from Levi Reid put in Dwyer but once again Whitehouse came to Stafford’s rescue keeping out the shot with his legs. From the resulting corner Whitehouse kept out Glover’s close range effort with his feet. Dwyer mishit his shot following Lawrie’s free kick as the Pitmen continued to threaten but Rangers came back in to it as a Thompson-Brown free kick caused problems in the Hednesford area. Brown hit an air shot and Josh Craddock’s effort was deflected for a corner.

It was from Jack Sherratt’s 63rd minute flag kick that Rangers restored their lead – Perry powering home a close range header against his former club. Hednesford pressed for another equaliser. Whitehouse turned away a 20 yarder from Fitzgibbon then King sliced his effort well wide after the ball had sat up nicely for him – he should have done better.

With four minutes of normal time remaining Rangers won a free kick on the left hand side. Dead ball specialist Thompson-Brown swung it in with his right foot and the ball seemed to take a slight deflection off Bailey. It was the faintest of touches but enough to deceive James Wren and put Rangers 3-1 up.

The match wasn’t over yet. Hednesford pressed again and Bailey reduced the arrears in the first minute of added time when he slid in to convert Fitzgibbon’s low centre. The Pitmen weren’t finished. Wren came up for a couple of corners to no avail but when Whitehouse saved from Glover their final chance was gone and the Boro began their celebrations.

Stafford Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Sam Griffiths, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Levi Reid (14 Kai Davis 66m), 5 Jordaan Brown, 6 Josh Craddock, 7 Tyrell Waite (15 Joe Thomas 90+5m), 8 Jack Sherratt, 9 Kyle Perry, 10 Robert Thompson-Brown, 11 Massiah McDonald (12 Osebi Abadaki 81m). Unused Subs: 16 Lucas Burnett, 17 Riley Stephenson

Hednesford Town: 1 James Wren, 2 Matt Curley, 3 Darren Campion, 4 Ben Bailey, 5 Callam Mendez-Jones, 6 Reece King (12 Joey Butlin 85m), 7 Anthony Dwyer, 8 Joe Fitzpatrick (14 Tom Thorley 65m), 9 Danny Glover, 10 James Lawrie, 11 James Fitzgibbon. Unused Subs: 15 Jack Rea, 16 Charlie Gatter, 17 Jose Veiga

Cautions: Thompson-Brown, Perry, McDonald (Rangers) Glover (Hednesford)

Referee: Scott Simpson

Att: 847

Report: Chris Elsley

Your Support Is Greatly Needed!

Apr 26, 2018 | Club News

On the back of our great win Tuesday night we have two away games to go and to finish as high as possible. Your support is greatly needed!

Tonight we play Stourbridge away 7.45 KO Postcode for those travelling by car DY8 4HN.

Saturday we play Nantwich away 3pm KO postcode CW5 5UP.

Staffs Senior Cup Final Tonight!

Apr 24, 2018 | Club News

Tonight is the night we hope to lift some silverware.

Staffs Senior Cup Final v Hednesford at Stoke City’s, bet 365 ground kick off 7:30.

Lets please have a good Stafford crowd to cheer on the lads.

We have at least 2 coaches of supporters and many by car. The Rangers Social Club is open at 5pm for a refreshing pre match tipple.
For those going by car you need West 1 car park and you enter the stadium via turnstiles 3 – 4 for this segregated match.

Stafford Rangers 1 – 2 Shaw Lane AFC

Apr 21, 2018 | Club News

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Saturday 21 April 2018

Stafford Rangers were unable to give outgoing manager a happy farewell as Shaw Lane kept their play off hopes alive but won few friends for their style of play.

Stafford had Riley Stephenson making his first start in goal in place of the suspended Adam Whitehouse while Jordaan Brown was absent due to a family bereavement.

Stephenson was soon in action when a poor defensive header from Kieren Westwood led to him fouling Kieran Lugsden. Damian Reeves dispatched the penalty to give Shaw Lane the lead in the 6th minute.

Rangers felt that they should have had a free kick a few moments later when Kyle Perry was held back by Jake Skelton on the edge of the box but the referee waved play on. That set the story for the afternoon as Perry got no joy from the Shaw Lane central defender and few decisions went his way.

Shaw Lane had much the better of the opening quarter. Olly Dyson and Alexander Byrne combined to give David Norris an opening but Levi Reid defended well to clear the danger. The visitors came even closer to a second when Kelvin Lugsden’s header flew across the face of the Stafford goal following Olly Dyson’s corner.

A neat exchange between Robert Thompson-Brown, Westwood and Tyrell Waite led to the former getting in Stafford’s first shot on target just before the half hour mark but it was an easy one for Eddie Wilczynski to gather.

Although Rangers were slowly coming more into the game Shaw Lane remained on top as Dyson fired just wide following Reeves’ lay off while, a minute before the break, Rangers had Dan Vann to thank for a goal line clearance which denied Byrne. In between, Stafford skipper Josh Craddock hooked a shot over from the edge of the area.

Rangers were a more attacking side in the second half, posing more questions of the Shaw Lane defence although it was the visitors who created the first opportunity when Godwin Abadaki fired over from around 15 yards.

From Perry’s lay off, Jack Sherratt shot over for Rangers but the Boro got back on level terms in the 64 min when David Norris pulled back Levi Reid and Thompson-Brown scored the penalty to take his tally to 10 for the season.

But Shaw Lane were soon back in front. Perry threw himself in front of the ball to deflect Byrne’s shot for a corner but Byrne was the provider on 69 mins when he picked out the unmarked Reeves who stole in to volley his second.

Stafford felt they should have had another penalty when Osebi Abadaki was impeded after charging down Wilczynski’s attempted clearance while Dan Vann headed straight at then visiting keeper.

When Abadaki went down again in the 88th minute, the referee deemed it a dive and cautioned the Stafford sub for the second time in the game meaning that the Boro had to play out the remaining minutes a man down.

Josh Craddock nearly rescued a point for Rangers with the last action of the game with a downward header that had Wilczynski going full stretch low to his right to keep out.

Rangers: 1 Riley Stephenson, 2 Levi Reid, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Sam Griffiths, 5 Dan Vann, 6 Josh Craddock, 7 Tyrell Waite, 8 Jack Sherratt (12 Osebi Abadaki 69m), 9 Kyle Perry, 10 Robert Thompson-Brown, 11 Massiah McDonald. Unused subs 14 Kai Davis, 15 Joe Thomas, 16 Ben Chilcott – only four subs named.

Shaw Lane: 1 Eddie Wilczynski, 2 Jake Picton, 3 Ben Gordon, 4 Kelvin Lugsden, 5 Jake Skelton, 6 David Norris, 7 Alexander Byrne (16 Matty Davis 90+7m), 8 Kieran Lugsden, 9 Godwin Abadaki, 10 Damian Reeves (12 Paul Clayton 84m), 11 Olly Dyson (14 Gavin Rothery 90+1m). Unused Subs 15 Tyler Williams, 17 Chib Chilaka

Cautions: McDonald, Thompson-Brown (Rangers); Gordon, Kelvin Lugsden, Rothery (Shaw Lane)

Referee: Richard Eley

Att: 560

Chris Elsley