As pre-season fixtures go, it was an entertaining affair with Rangers playing a good passing game with Alex-Ray Harvey and Mo Sebbeh-Njie particularly impressive in midfield. The opening exchanges were evenly fought with the most notable feature being the caution given to the Chorley midfielder Mike Calverley for two fouls in a matter of minutes.

The second, an attempted rugby tackle on Callum Coyle, presented Rangers with their first shot on goal but Sebbeh-Njie fired straight at Matt Urwin. Jamie Sleigh came close when Coyle’s corner appeared to catch him a little of guard and though the Rangers man looked set to finish off the rebound, Urwin got in first to punch clear.

Sleigh’s involvement came to an early finish when he limped out of the action midway through the half with Joe Cuff taking his place. Cuff was the key man in the build up to Rangers’ opener, six minutes before the break.

It started in the Stafford area with a crucial tackle from Cieron Keane to deny Elliot Newby. Cuff countered on the left and skipped past two Chorley defenders in the area only for Urwin to deny him. But, from Coyle’s corner, Tom Thorley’s near post header found its way past the Chorley keeper to give Rangers a deserved half time lead. Chorley made two changes at the start of the second half and enjoyed the better of the action, resulting in former Stafford loanee Calverly levelling the scores on 49 minutes.

Soon after, Sam Coulson was called upon to clear the lines after Arlen Birch had sent in a low cross-shot. Rangers settled back down and found Coyle a threat on the left although Urwin was largely untroubled. But the Magpies’ keeper was helpless ten minutes from time when Keane’s superb finish restored Rangers’ lead after an initial free kick had appeared to come to nothing.

Mitch Candlin should have added a third soon after, but he fired over after Urwin had saved well following a shot from the one triallist on show for the home side. At the other end, Newby missed the chance to earn the visitors a draw when he blazed over with Lewis King out of position.

Rangers: Lewis King, Mo Sebbeh-Njie, Cieron Keane, Alex-Ray Harvey, Dan Burns, Sam Coulson, Joe Kenton (Triallist 59m), Tom Thorley (Mitch Candlin 59m), Jamie Sleigh (Joe Cuff 22m), Callum Coyle, Josh Williams (Michael Williams 59m).

Chorley: Matt Urwin, Arlen Birch, Matty Taylor (Andy Halls 46), Harvey Smith, Scott Leather, (Lee Roberts 88), Lewis Baines, Ollie Shenton (Malakai 82), Michael Calveley (Joe Bowles 90), Ollie Putnam (Sean Miller 46), Elliot Newby, Lewis Reilly (Udoyen Akpan 75). Unused subs: Lewis Dutton, Niall Moran.

Att 272

Many of you will be aware that the Stafford Rangers Development Squad has been extended this year to incorporate a new U21 team that plays in the Midland U21 Reserve league on Saturday morning, as Rangers look to develop a total football solution.

The U21 team join the four other U18 teams that are associated with the club.

The U21’s are managed by Colin Phillips and Oz Rowley and the squad was formed to continue to provide a pathway and natural progression for players in the U18’s.

This new structure now creates a direct route for the most talented players into Stafford Rangers First Team, our stars for the future, and the ones you will want to watch now. The focus is not purely results based but is also set up to provide game time for first team players coming back from injury, squad players from first team and is crucial to the development of youth/academy players and triallists.

The U21’s play Home games at Stone Old Alleynians Ground at Wellbeing Park , Yarnfield Lane, Yarnfield, Stone ST15 0NF.

The first league game is this Saturday 5th September when the U21’s play Lichfield City at the City Ground, Brownsfield Road, Lichfield WS13 6AY, entry £3.00

Pitching In, is a new Grassroots Sports Investment Programme that has today been launched by GVC, the multi-national sports-betting and gaming group which owns Ladbrokes and Coral.

The partnership covers all three leagues that make up Steps 3 & 4 of the National Leagues System, who market themselves collectively as the Trident Leagues.

England footballing legend Stuart Pearce, who played for Wealdstone FC for five years at the start of his long and illustrious career, has been appointed as the official Pitching In ambassador.

Stuart Pearce, ambassador for the Pitching In programme, says:

“I am delighted to be taking up the role of ambassador for Pitching In, as I’m passionate about the importance of investing in grassroots sports and in developing young talent. I started out playing for Wealdstone FC before joining Coventry City, so I understand how important funding is to the non-league game. Grassroots football is facing huge challenges at the moment and many clubs are struggling to stay afloat. GVC’s Pitching In investment will help make a big difference to hundreds of clubs and thousands of players across the country.”

Pitching In has been set up with the objective of supporting, protecting and encouraging grassroots sports in the UK through a range of initiatives.

In addition to financial support, a key focus of the partnership will be to facilitate and encourage members of the community to become volunteers and do some pitching in of their own. A Pitching In volunteering scheme will be established to link GVC’s Ladbrokes and Coral shop colleagues with their local clubs.

In the weeks ahead Pitching In and the Trident Leagues will be announcing further initiatives to provide financial support and opportunities for all the 226 clubs (rising to 240 in 2021).

For more information on Pitching In please visit www.gvc-plc.com/pitchingin

29th August 2020 – Home

Report by Alan Gee

A competitive second leg of” El Staffico” saw the hosts come out with an aggregate 3-2 victory as Stafford won 2-1. Rangers edged the early part before Hednesford took the lead, on 11 minutes, with Dan Turner out-muscling the Rangers Trialist defender as he ran on to slide past Lewis King for a well taken opener. On 23 minutes Rangers drew level after Jamie Sleigh was brought down by Preston after a great through ball and Sleigh got up to convert the equalising penalty. With the game being tightly contested, chances were at a premium, with Glover heading straight at King, while Boro’s best efforts were a blocked Sleigh shot and a wide header by Candlin from a dangerous cross.

In the second half Hednesford had the first chance, as Bailey headed over before Rangers went ahead on 56 minutes when sub Callum Coyle played a slide rule pass down the right channel and Sleigh expertly finished for his second of the game, firing across Whycherley. There was then a spell when Rangers made 5 changes in a few minutes and Rangers still looked more likely to extend that lead but Hednesford held them at bay while their closest chance fell to Bailey whose header was cleared for another Stafford break, Turner came close to getting his second and an equaliser for Pitmen as he took down the ball and controlled then shot just past the post, while a deep cross from the Boro left was headed from under the Hednesford bar and sub Andre Johnson fired well over when well placed.

Both sides show signs of settling, some two weeks after their first encounter and signs are, they will both be competitive outfits in the coming season.

Rangers– King, Coulson, D.Burns (Trialist), Trialist (Trialist), Trialist, Sebbeh-Njie, Harvey, Keane (Kenton), Thorley (Trialist), Candlin, Sleigh (Johnson 58)

Hednesford Starting XI – Whycherley, Thompson, Lycett, Bailey, Preston, Smith, Norcross, Dodd, Glover, Dodds, Turner.

Att 300 – Star Man Jamie Sleigh (Stafford)

25/08/20 – 7.45pm – Weather – Storm Francis tester!

In a game strongly effected by Storm Francis, both sides did well to serve up something resembling entertainment.

The opening stages saw the visitors looking sharp with a couple of early crosses and the first corner that saw an effort from Kee hitting Rangers’ bar. Rangers responded with a run from Kenton and his low cross shot hit the side netting before Coalville again came close as a McGlinchey shot was deflected wide before a curling cross just evaded Smith. McGlinchey then slipped his marker but shot straight at King. Rangers relieved the pressure with an attack as the impressive Keane delivered a dangerous cross and first Sleigh then Thorley both had shots blocked. The Ravens came back with another effort from 20 yards, but this again narrowly missed. They had looked the stronger team early on but Rangers finished the half strongly, while Candlin had a shot that was way over and Sleigh latched onto a good through ball and his good solo run and shot was saved by Deeney just before half time.

The second half saw many changes for both sides and a battle with ever worsening conditions as the incessant wind and rain howled across Marston Road.

Coalville again started brightly as an early shot was sent just over, before thy broke the deadlock on 52 minutes. Winning a free kick on the right, the ball was swung to the crowded near post where the first incoming header hit the woodwork, but Connor Smith followed up to squeeze a header in for a 1-0 lead. As the half progressed it was impressive that both sides tried to master the conditions and still try to play the right way, but the game was largely interspersed with substitutions giving the respective squads a run out, plus the vicious downpours and swirling gale. Rangers most notable chance was from Sub Joe Cuff who tested Deeney while a Coalville attack saw King pull off his best save of the game.

Rangers -King, Trialist, Moran, D. Burns, Keane (trialist 64), Kenton(trialist), Welsh (Cuff 57), Harvey (Sebbeh-Njie 45), Thorley, Candlin (Carr64), Sleigh (Johnson 63).