Rangers overcome tough TNS

Jul 2, 2021 | Club News

Rangers faced last season’s Welsh League runners up knowing this would be a stern test and so it proved. The News Saints were going into their seventh pre-season game and their only defeat had been away at Scottish league side East Fife.

Again, fielding a different 11 in each half, Rangers showed early signs of consistency and promise while being tested by some quality play.

The visitors were quick out of the blocks and won their first corner in 30 seconds and continued to have most of the early possession and pressure for the first 10 minutes. On 12 minutes Joe Cuff had the first Rangers effort breaking on the left but his effort was gathered at the near post by Pau Harrison. As the sides settled, it was TNS who probed more and the lively Adrian Cieslewicz won a corner on 25 minutes and Ryan Astles headed the resulting corner just over. Just 3 minutes later, Morgan Daykin whipped an excellent ball in from the left and Cieslewicz was at the back post to head in and give TNS the lead. Rangers picked up the pace with new signing Tom Tonks becoming more influential in the middle of the park and some neat play saw Tyrone Ofori feed Cuff down the left and he again was denied by Harrison. Next it was a well worked move on the right and Tonks fired from an acute angle and Harrison was on the spot again. Ofori ran at the defence again and was fouled by Jon Routledge, with the pressure from this kick bringing a corner that was headed wide by Josh Endall. Rangers finished the half with some good possession and John Kapend’s vicious cross was cut out by Astles as the half drew to a close.

Rangers 1^st half 11. J.Brown, K.Dawes. J.Endall, T.Tonks, J.Moran, J.O’Neill, J.Kapend, J.Welsh, T.Ofori, M.Candlin, J,Cuff

The second half started with a fresh 11 for Rangers while TNS remained the same. This turned out to be a hard working and fluent line up as the game was taken to the visitors. On 53 minutes Jake Charles was fed into the box with a through ball and he was brought down by Daykin and he got off the floor to decisively fire home from the spot with his usual left foot power! This line up then grew in confidence as the team moved the ball and often had TNS on the back foot with some great pace and movement. TNS rallied and Declan McManus fired high and wide after some rare pressure. On 67 minutes some great wing play down the right by Joe Kenton saw him whip in a cross and Ben Woods met the ball at the back post to finish just inside the post and give Rangers a deserved lead. This increased Rangers’ confidence as they held out comfortably and the only threat they had to deal with was a header glanced wide by Keston Davies and a shot that went well over form sub Louis Robles.

As the game drew to a close we saw a couple more Rangers corners and more of Charles chasing a lost cause, maybe a reminder of what we missed while he was away!

Overall, a great test against a strong side and another win with some consistent play. After the game we confirmed Jonno Brown as our first signed keeper for the season.

Rangers 2^nd half line up – A.Whitehouse, A.Burns, J.Williams, A,R.Harvey, B.Forrest, J.Sutton, J.Kenton, J.Waldrum, J.Charles, T.Carr, B.Woods. The New Saints – P.Harrison, M.Daykin, C.Marriott, K.Davies, R.Astles, J.Routledge, L.Smith (L.Robles 63), R.Brobbel (D.Ebbe 63), D.McManus (L.Rees 76), D.Redmond, A.Cieslewicz (J.Canavan 63).

Tyrone Ofori

Jun 29, 2021 | Club News

We are pleased to announce another new signing. Tyrone Ofori is a striker who joins us after spells with Newtown AFC and Cefn Druids. He introduced himself to the fans with a debut goal on Saturday against Newcastle.

Boro Ease Back In With Win Over Neighbours

Jun 28, 2021 | Club News

Stafford Rangers 2 Newcastle Town 0

Rangers eased into the pre-season schedule with a fixture against their Staffordshire neighbours, on a warm afternoon at Marston Road, as fans returned for the first time since October.

In a proverbial “game of two halves” both teams fielded a different line-up in each half and the second half line-up for Rangers proved decisive.

Rangers had the better of a relatively uneventful first half, having some early pressure and possession before Newcastle had a brief spell of pressure, with former Boro man Joe Berks firing well off target and a minute later they forced their first corner. The hosts started to assert more pressure, with Lucas Green Birch involved with some good work as he shot just wide from 25 yards, before Morgan Payne just failed to make proper contact on a ball into the box. Green Birch then had another effort as he fired a partly cleared cross just wide and soon after this, a right wing corner was met with a near post flick from Jake Charles but Zak Noble managed to hold his shot safely under the bar. A brief foray into the Rangers final third say Jack Fishman delver and excellent ball in that forced a corner but this was cleared and the closing stages saw more home pressure as Green Birch again edged an effort wide, while an excellent run from Joe Kenton forced another corner before half time.

First half teams:

Rangers – A.Whitehouse, A.Burns. J.Williams, A.R.Harvey, J.Moran, J.Endall, J.Kenton, M.Payne, J.Charles, L.Green-Birch, M.Candlin

Newcastle – Z.Noble, J.Fishman, B.Douglas, E.Vale, J.Askey, L.Dennins, N.Morley, T.Van Der Laan, M.Chimines, J.Van Der Laan, J.Berks

Second Half

Both teams made mass changes for the second half with Rangers changing the full team, while Newcastle made just the eight! This made for a more lively affair after the teams had taken stages to settle. Rangers were more dominant and the league standings were more obvious as the experienced head of John Welsh was introduced and he had a say in how the game ran. Welsh, plus the introduction of John Kapend, Joe Cuff, Declan Arber and new signing Tyrone Olofi all had a major bearing in the final third and it took 15 minutes for the first direct effort from Kapend to be fired into the side netting from the right. Soon this was followed by a 62^nd minute opener as Welsh threaded a fine pass down the left channel and Cuff cut in to fire across Noble to give the hosts the lead. Straight into it from kick off, the second followed quickly with another attack and when Arber was taken down, Olofi made no mistake from the spot for his first goal on his debut. A rare Newcastle attach saw Will Gibbons with a good run and shot but Jono Brown made a decent save. Rangers continued to press in longer spells and a great run from left back Ben Woods flashed across goal and Kapend somehow could not a apply a finishing touch. Another debutant, James O’Neill then latched onto a corner but his header was well saved. The most notable chance after this was the final action of the game, when Cuff got hold from about 20 yards and unleashed a low shot that Noble managed to keep hold of.

A satisfactory first run out for a squad under reconstruction and the second half, in particular, showed a different approach.

Second half teams –

Rangers – J.Brown, K.Davies, B.Woods, J.Welsh, B,Forrest, J.O’Neill, J.Kapend, D.Arber, T.Olofi, J.Waldram, J.Cuff

Newcastle – Z.Noble, H.Howell, E.Sawers, N.Djalo, W.Gibbons, M.Harrison, R.Lal, K.Bah. L.Dennis, J.Van Der Laan.

Goals – Joe Cuff 62, Tyrone Olofi 63

Officials – Referee, Steve Martin. Assistants, Dave Williams & Jordan Tindall.

Report by Alan Gee

Image – Wendy Hill