Stafford Rangers 4 – 0 Kidsgrove Athletic

Mar 21, 2018 | Club News

Staffs Senior Cup 3rd round

Tuesday 20 March 2018

Stafford Rangers booked themselves a place in the semi finals of the Staffs Senior Cup with a comfortable victory over Kidsgrove Athletic at Marston Road.

There was little danger of an upset coming from the NPL Div One South outfit as Rangers took charge from the off and the only disappointment was that they didn’t have more goals to show for it. On a cold night, Josh Craddock warmed the hands of visiting keeper Dave Parton after just 5 mins with a powerful 25 yard drive.

Robert Thompson-Brown tried his luck with an excellent drive from further out that Parton pushed away for a corner then the dead ball specialist was inches away with a free kick. Massiah McDonald was next to threaten but he put his shot into the side netting. There was an element of luck involved when Rangers’ opener finally came on 19 mins as Levi Reid’s cross from near to the right hand by line was missed by Kyle Perry but went in via the inside of the far post.

Kidsgrove should have been level soon after when a slip from Jordaan Brown let in Lee Cropper but the Grove forward stabbed over when well placed. Just before the half hour, Cropper was guilty again, firing over after being set up by Tim Sanders who fired just wide himself towards the end of the half.

Despite these chances for the visitors, Rangers remained in control but never really tested Parton although Perry’s shot on the turn wasn’t too far off target. The game turned a little feisty in the last five minutes of the half following a bad tackle by Craddock on Rhys Thompson which earned the Rangers’ skipper a caution while Grove’s Leon Ashman also found himself in the book.

Thankfully, tempers had calmed by the players returned for the second half and Rangers soon stamped their authority on the game when they extended their lead in the 47th minute. A Sam Griffiths free kick saw McDonald’s shot blocked. He laid the ball back for Kieren Westwood and by Perry beat Parton to his deep cross to head Rangers two up. Rangers then seemed to sit back a little, but easily dealt with anything Kidsgrove could muster up.

The margin between the two sides became more reflective in the scoreline on 61 mins when Kieran Morris headed home a Thompson-Brown corner to make it 3-0. Parton parried Jack Sherratt’s 30 yard drive for a corner, denied Izak Reid at his near post and pushed away a Thompson-Brown free kick as Rangers went in search of further goals. And it came on 77 mins through a free kick but with Thompson-Brown taking a well earned rest, the duties were left to Izak Reid and he fired into the top corner.

16 year old Lucas Burnett was given a ten minute outing and he had two great chances to open his account but Alex Lingard scrambled the ball away for the first and then Thompson made a good block from the second when the goal seemed certain. Rangers now face Wolverhampton Sporting Community in the semi final with the winners taking on either Hednesford Town or Stoke City in the final at the BET365 stadium later next month.

Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Sam Griffiths, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Kieran Morris, 5 Jordaan Brown, 6 Josh Craddock (14 Jack Sherratt 46m), 7 Levi Reid, 8 Robert Thompson-Brown (12 Tyrell Waite 72m), 9 Kyle Perry (16 Lucas Burnett 81m), 10 Massiah McDonald, 11 Izak Reid. Unused Subs: 15 Osebi Abadaki, 17 Riley Stephenson

Kidsgrove Athletic: 1 Dave Parton, 2 Rhys Thompson, 3 Alex Lingard, 4 Oliver Jepson, 5 Leon Ashman (12 Ryan Austin 72m), 6 Ross Davidson, 7 Kyle Diskin, 8 Shaun Rhodes, 9 Tim Sanders, 10 Lee Cropper, 11 Geoff McGaw. Unused subs: 14 Dan Skelton, 15 Anthony Malbon, 16 Jon Beaumont, 17 Jackson McKeever

Cautions: Craddock (Rangers) Jepson, Ashman (Kidsgrove)

Ref: Ben Watkiss

Att: 170

Report: Chris Elsley

Stafford Rangers 0 – 0 Warrington Town

Mar 14, 2018 | Club News

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Tuesday 13 March 2018

Levi Reid was the unlikely hero as Rangers held high flying Warrington Town to a draw at Marston Road on Tuesday night. The veteran midfielder came on as a 55th minute substitute for keeper Brad Caswell and, despite standing at just 5’ 5” and wearing a shirt that looked two sizes too big, kept out the promotion hopefuls to earn his side a draw.

In truth, Reid was only tested once – in the final minute of the game – but he did what he needed to do in making the save from Jack Higgins. Rangers made four changes to the starting eleven after Saturday’s dramatic draw with Lancaster. Getting a recall were Sam Griffiths, Jack Sherratt, Tyrell Waite and Massiah McDonald while Kyle Perry, Joe Thomas and Levi Reid dropped to the bench. Dan Vann was missing through illness.

Rangers found themselves on the backfoot for much of the first half as Warrington moved the ball around when in possession and closed down quickly when defending. The visitors took no time to settle and saw Jamie McDonald come close to opening the scoring inside the first minute when he forced Caswell to save low to his right after a move involving Devarn Green and Tony Gray. But that was the only real chance they created in the first 20 mins and it needed a slip from Jordaan Brown to present them with their next opportunity. A quick throw from McDonald allowed Gray to centre but the ball went across goal and just beyond Sean Williams.

Rangers responded through Massiah McDonald who wasn’t too far off with a shot from in excess of 30 yards but although the tempo was fast and frantic, chances at either end remained a premium. Things did pick up after the half hour as shots came in from Gray and Williams but both were well off target. William Hayhurst was closer with his effort but still went wide. For Rangers, Josh Craddock also went wide with a looping header following Robert Thompson-Brown’s free kick.

Rangers looked sharper after the break, matching Warrington for their attacking intent while remaining solid at the back. Then came the moment that brought Levi Reid into the action as manager Neil Kitching decided not to risk Caswell’s groin injury any longer. But the team rallied and decided that attack was the best form of defence and continued to press the Warrington goal.

Massiah McDonald through a crowd of Warrington players to pick out Craddock but the skipper’s shot went through tamely to Luke Pilling then McDonald curled a decent effort just over the bar. Warrington took 20 minutes to create any sort of threat to the stand in Rangers keeper when they won a corner but it was defended well before Reid eventually claimed possession.

In the latter stages, the visitors saw Mathias Bakare balloon a shot over when well placed but they should have snatched victory in the final minute of added time. Kieren Westwood lost possession on the break allowing Liam Goulding to launch the counter. Warrington’s McDonald laid off to Higgins but Reid saved with his legs. The ball ran back to McDonald but he somehow managed to fire over an inviting goal from around 6 yards.

A deserved point for Rangers, it’s just a shame there were only 301 to watch it.

Rangers: 1 Brad Caswell (15 Levi Reid 55m), 2 Sam Griffiths, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Kieran Morris, 5 Jordaan Brown, 6 Josh Craddock, 7 Izak Reid (16 Osebi Abadaki 68m), 8 Jack Sherratt, 9 Tyrell Waite (12 Kyle Perry 81m), 10 Robert Thompson-Brown, 11 Massiah McDonald. Unused subs: 14 Joe Thomas, 17 Dan Westwood

Warrington: 1 Luke Pilling, 2 Adam Carden, 3 Rory McKeown, 4 Steven Jennings, 5 JackHiggins, 6 Liam Goulding, 7 Devarn Green (17 Mathias Bakare 66m), 8 Sean Williams, 9 Jamie McDonald, 10 Tony Gray (16 Bradley Barnes 80m), 11 William Hayhurst (14 Joe Piggott 74m). Unused Subs: 12 Jamie Davis, 15 Anthony McMillan

Cautions: Morris (Rangers), Goulding, Gray (Warrington)

Ref: Greg Rollason

Att: 301

Chris Elsley

Stafford Rangers 2 Lancaster City 2

Mar 11, 2018 | Club News

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Saturday 10 March 2018

For the third time in four home games, Rangers threw away a two goal lead as a late show from Lancaster earned the visitors a point.

The Boro were dealt a blow shortly before kick off when it was decided not to risk keeper Adam Whitehouse, who reported in with a back strain, giving Brad Caswell his first appearance since November. Otherwise it was the same line up that lost to Coalville in mid week.

On a greasy surface Lancaster made the better start as Sam Bailey’s corner caused some problems then Paul Jarvis fired over, all inside three minutes. Bailey then put Tom Kilifin through on the right. He slotted the ball past Brad Caswell only to see it roll wide of the far post under the watchful eye of Kieran Morris.

In between, Levi Reid set up brother Izak but he couldn’t quite find a way past Lancaster keeper Elliot Wynne.

Robert Thompson-Brown is rapidly earning himself a reputation with his deadly free kicks and he was at it again on 31 mins when he put Rangers ahead via the underside of the bar.

Lancaster’s best chance of a first half equaliser fell to Kilifin who got goal side of Dan Vann but hit a tame shot at Caswell.

As with the first half, Lancaster were first out of the blocks in the second and it needed a good block from Kyle Perry to keep out a close range effort from Craig Carney while Kilifin headed wide at the near post.

But Rangers soon settled and enjoyed the better of the play without causing Lancaster too many problems although Joe Thomas almost scored with a spectacular diving header.

But Rangers got more assertive and Wynne had to tip away a dangerous corner from Thompson-Brown. It was from the following flag kick that Stafford made it 2-0 on 62 mins, Kieran Morris heading in from Thompson-Brown’s centre.

Perry could have made it three but it was a double substitution for Lancaster that proved to be pivotal. Charlie Bailey and Joshua Gregory were heavily involved as the visitors sought a route back.

The latter volleyed wide then Caswell saved well from Carney, going low to his left to turn the ball for a corner.

Both Gregory and Bailey missed good chances before the latter scored what appeared to be little more than a consolation two minutes into added time, driving his shot past Caswell after being given space in the area.

But Lancaster had other ideas and two minutes later they grabbed a dramatic equaliser when Gregory forced the ball home after Steven Williams’ header had bounced down off the bar.

Rangers: 1 Brad Caswell, 2 Dan Vann, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Kieran Morris, 5 Jordaan Brown, 6 Josh Craddock, 7 Izak Reid, 8 Levi Reid, 9 Kyle Perry (14 Tyrell Waite 86m), 10 Robert Thompson-Brown, 11 Joe Thomas (17 Osebi Abadaki 81m). Unused subs: 12 Massiah McDonald, 15 Sam Griffiths, 16 Jack Sherratt

Lancaster: 1 Elliot Wynne, 2 Simon Wills, 3 Paul Dugdale, 4 Billy Akrigg, 5 Adam Anson, 6 Steven Williams, 7 Sam Bailey (14 Mamadou Djabi 46m), 8 Craig Carney, 9 Tom Kilifin (15 Joshua Gregory 71m), 10 Ryan Winder (12 Charlie Bailey 71m), 11 Paul Jarvis. Unused subs 16 Richard Mercer, 17 Adam Sumner

Cautions: Dugdale (Lancaster)

Referee: Richard Price

Att: 406

Report by Chris Elsley