Louis Briscoe has joined Sutton Coldfield. We would like to thank him for all his efforts here and wish him all the best for the future.
This Saturday we make the short journey to Rushall Olympic who sit in 20th place in the league after playing 27 games they have 29 points.
After a disappointing Christmas period we will be looking to pick up some points and move up the league.
| Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Monday 1 January 2018 Rangers opened up the new year with defeat at local rivals Hednesford in a game that failed to live up to expectations. As matches go between these two sides, this one lacked the passion and drama needed and it took an over zealous challenge from Boro captain Mat Bailey to ignite any sort of spark into the afternoon’s proceedings. But that was with a little over five minutes remaining and too late for Rangers to salvage a point. It took until the 14th minute for either side to produce an effort on target but Bailey’s header was blocked by Joey Butlin. And, when the home side created their first opening, in the 29th minute, it was Butlin who was there to head Hednesford in front. The chance came after Mason Walsh had got the better of Kai Davis to cross from the right and the unmarked Butlin had time to pick his spot. Rangers had a great chance to get back on level terms soon after when Richard Batchelor put Osebi Abadaki in but he lacked conviction and home keeper James Wren did just enough to concede the corner. Hednesford extended their lead two minutes into added time at the end of the first half. A corner from James Lawrie looked unthreatening, as did Charlie Gatter’s miscued shot but the ball looped over Adam Whitehouse. Not for the first, second or even third time in Staffordshire derbies, Hednesford fans tarnished their image by throwing flares onto the pitch to celebrate their goals. Abadaki missed out on another opening for Rangers early in the second half as Wren denied him then the Hednesford keeper tipped away a shot from Massiah McDonald. Another Abadaki shot flew across the face of the Hednesford goal and with the lack of quality finishing on display it was perhaps fitting that Rangers got back in to the game via an own goal when Callam Mendez-Jones’ attempt to cut out Abadaki’s centre ended in the back of the Hednesford net with 16 minutes remaining. But though sub Joe Thomas had a shot charged down, Rangers never really threatened to get level. Instead, Hednesford came the closest to adding to the score when Danny Glover hit the post with a low drive and put another just over the top but his side had done enough to avenge the double that Rangers completed over them last season. Hednesford: 1 James Wren, 2 Callam Mendez-Jones, 3 Matt Curley, 4 Joe Fitzpatrick (14 Laurence Taylor 89m), 5 Sam Oji, 6 Charlie Gatter, 7 Mason Walsh (15 Reece King 64m), 8 Tom Thorley, 9 Joey Butlin (12 Danny Glover 73m), 10 James Lawrie, 11 James Fitzgibbon. Unused subs 16 Jordan Graham, 17 James Mutton Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Sam Griffiths, 3 Kai Davis, 4 Josh Craddock, 5 Mat Bailey, 6 Jordaan Brown, 7 Osebi Abadaki (14 Karl Hawley 90+1m), 8 Jack Sherratt (12 Dan Westwood 57m), 9 Massiah McDonald, 10 Robert Thompson-Brown (15 Joe Thomas 77m), 11 Richard Batchelor. Unused subs: 16 Izak Reid, 17 Levi Reid Cautions: Thorley (Hednesford), Griffiths, Craddock, Bailey, Bachelor (Rangers) Ref: R Price Att: 892 |
ATT: 497. MOTM Thompson-Brown.
Full match report will follow in due course.
Thanks for support.
Since our last lottery update for the end of September, the Lottery has continued to fund projects for the benefit of the football club, the latest being a donation of £2465.00 for a mower which will help to make life a little easier for our excellent volunteers who work extremely hard in keeping the pitch in good condition despite inclement weather.
At the moment the Lottery membership has stalled at 263 current active mandates and it is important that membership continues to grow to enable the lottery to provide vital funding for a number of projects which will ensure that the club continues to develop its infrastructure.
With this in mind, the Lottery Committee have recently introduced, in addition to the individual agent scheme which offers 30% commission, the opportunity to other sports clubs, school and community organisation, they will receive a very generous commission of 50% of all money raised by recruiting new lottery members. The more members a partner organisation recruits, the more money it raises for its causes. By way of an illustration, if an organisation recruits 25 people each paying £5.00 per month who remain members of the lottery for 12 months, the organisation will receive commission of £750.00
Anyone interested in joining the Lottery, becoming an individual agent or a partner organisation, please contact the club on 01785 602430 or speak to any members of the Lottery Committee, namely David Montgomery, John Mcmillan, Paul Griffiths or Eric Robins.
We wish to thank all existing members for their continued support throughout 2017 and wish everyone a very happy and hopefully prosperous new year and look forward to your continued support.
As the saying goes…”you have to be in it to win it!”
Alex Fletcher has returned to Newton AFC in Wales. We would like to wish him all the best for the future.
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Saturday 23 December 2017
Stafford Rangers returned to league action for the first time in three weeks but were forced to settle for a draw against a Buxton side who had to play the entire second half with ten men.
Rangers were looking to end a poor run of form that had seen them lose their last three league games – all at home – against a side who had beaten them 4-1 when the two sides met at Marston Road back in August.
Rangers’ goalscorer that day was Dan Westwood and the striker took his season’s tally into double figures when he nipped in behind the Buxton defence to put Rangers ahead in the 14th minute.
It was no less than Rangers deserved after Kieran Morris and Westwood had both had efforts cleared off the line inside the first five minutes. Westwood missed out again when Jan Budtz saved after Massiah McDonald’s flick on then Richard Batchelor headed wide from a cross from newcomer Richard Thompson-Brown.
The breakthrough came when Westwood ran onto the path of Josh Craddock’s long range shot in his path before calmly slotting past Budtz.
A great save from Adam Whitehouse denied Matt Baker an equalizer 5 mins later before Ant Wilson sent the rebound wide.
Rangers were dealt a blow when Kieren Westwood suffered a recurrence of a back injury with Jack Sherratt taking his place.
As half time loomed, Budtz beat away a shot from McDonald but first half added time produced a flashpoint following a dreadful challenge from Ricky Ravenhill on Sam Griffiths.
Having failed to blow immediately for the initial foul referee Jamie Rhodes then took five minutes to discuss the events with his assistant before showing Bucks’ skipper Ravenhill the red card while Griffiths was carried off the pitch, unable to take any further part in the game.
McDonald forced another save from Budtz early in the second half but the home side got back on level terms on 52 mins when the referee gifted them a penalty, judging Whitehouse to have brought down Wilson when no contact appeared to have been made. Joe McGee scored from the spot.
Jack Broadhead’s free kick went close to giving Buxton the lead but much of the second half was focused around some bizarre decisions from referee Jamie Rhodes which angered both camps. At one point he failed to spot a foul because he just wasn’t looking!
A free kick driven low into the area by Joe Maguire was diverted wide by Wilson as Buxton worked hard to compensate for their numerical disadvantage.
Rangers struggled to create much at the other end although Sherratt went close to grabbing a late winner when he fired over with the last kick of the game but it was the performance of the referee that everyone was talking about.
Buxton: 1 Jan Budtz, 2 Matt Baker, 3 Andy McWilliams, 4 Ricky Ravenhill, 5 Kern Miller, 6 Joe Maguire, 7 Josh Meade, 8 Jack Broadhead, 9 Ant Wilson (14 Curtis Morrison 83m), 10 Luke Hinsley, 11 Joe McGee. Unused Subs 12 Jake Williams, 15 Ryan McDermott, 17 William Biggs
Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Sam Griffiths (12 Izak Reid 45+8m), 3 Kieren Westwood (17 Jack Sherratt 37m), 4 Kieran Morris, 5 Mat Bailey, 6 Jordaan Brown, 7 Josh Craddock, 8 Robert Thompson-Brown, 9 Dan Westwood, 10 Massiah McDonald, 11 Richard Batchelor. Unused subs 14 Osebi Abadaki, 15 Michael Calveley, 16 Joe Thomas
Goals:
Buxton- McGee 52m pen
Rangers – D Westwood 14m
Cautions: Maguire, Wilson (Buxton) Thompson-Brown, McDonald, Sherratt (Rangers)
Referee: Jamie Rhodes
Att 300
Chris Elsley
