Stafford Rangers v St Ives Town FC

Aug 9, 2021 | Match Report

It was a deeply frustrating afternoon as Rangers took on St Ives at Marston Road in their final pre-season friendly.

First Half

Rangers had the better of the opening stages of the first half having lots of the ball and pressing the St Ives backline into making mistakes. The rangers’ high press was visible for everyone to see. Although Rangers had lots of the ball early on, they failed to really make it count and they didn’t create many chances. St Ives didn’t create any meaningful opportunities either. So, all in all it was a very uneventful first half.

Second Half

Rangers came out for the second half looking to take the game to the away side with Ryanjay Malbon being a real threat down the wing for Rangers. The home side made the breakthrough in 61 st minute after some good approach play down the right and a ball in the box allowed James O’ Neil to make it 1-0 to Rangers.

However, Rangers failed to build on their goal and dropped far too deep which allowed St Ives more time on the ball and in the 90th minute they scored to make it 1-1.

1-1 FT. The game as a whole was a real opportunity missed for rangers to continue their impressive form going into the new season.

Teams:

Rangers: Whitehouse Burns Lennon Charles Ten- Grotenhuis Dawes O’Neil Kenton
Tonks Ofori Fletcher Malbon
St Ives: Trialist Davies Toseland Howel Trialist Milne Trialist Richens Sharrif Trialist
Trialist

Report Completed by Luke Buckley

AFC Telford United v Stafford Rangers

Aug 5, 2021 | Match Report

With Rangers taking on national league north outfit Telford in their penultimate pre-season friendly the Boro’ would have to be at their very best to get anything from the game.

First Half

Rangers got off to the perfect start in the 4th minute with our number 9 Jake Charles opening the scoring giving rangers a shock lead. Telford found it difficult to break down a very well drilled rangers defence. They did cause Telford a few problems on the counter attack which seemed to be the game plan for Rangers, Telford did however manage to create a chance mid-way through the first half when they found space behind the rangers’ backline but thankfully Jonathon brown made a fantastic save to keep it 1-0. Rangers also could have made it 2-0 after they hit the post late on in the first half.

Second Half

The second half continued in the same pattern of the first, with Telford having lots of the ball and Rangers being solid defensively. Rangers didn’t seem to offer very much going forward in the second half, but you can understand their defensive approach given that Telford are a national league north side. The home side continued to press forward for much of the second half but the Rangers defence stood firm and held out until the 83 rd minute when Telford were awarded a penalty following a foul in the box which left the referee with little choice but to award it. The penalty was coolly dispatched into the net making the score 1-1. So, all in all a great test once again for rangers. Fantastic effort from the boys!

1-1 FT

Teams

Telford 1 Griffiths 2 white 3 Pond 4 Daniels 5 Streete 6 Lilly 7 Abbey 8 Walker 9 Williams 10 Durrell
11 Oswell
Rangers 1 Brown 2. Burns 3 Dawes 4 Harvey 5. Townsend 6. O’Neil 7 Malbon 8. Tonks 9. Charles 10. Fletcher 11. Cuff​

Report completed by Luke Buckley

Stafford Rangers v Aston Villa u23’s

Aug 3, 2021 | Match Report

First half

Rangers got off to the perfect start with a goal in the 1st minute of the game from Alex Fletcher to make it 1-0 to the Boro, Rangers were in control for large parts of the first half and had a few chances to double their lead but they missed chances early on. Aston villa never really looked like causing rangers any problems. Fair play to the travelling support who made a lot of noise, rangers did however make it 2-0 just before the break in the 42nd minute when a shot from close range was pushed out by the keeper only for Joe Cuff to tap in the rebound 2-0 Rangers.

Second half
The half time break saw more of the same of what we saw in the first half with rangers being by far the better side, the majority of the second half was rather uneventful. But the game was a decent workout for rangers they looked very solid defensively with some good off the ball organisation and the midfield seemed to control the game. Villa did come on strong for the final 10 minutes of the match but by then the damage was done. 2-0 was how the game finished.

Teams:

Rangers Whitehouse Tonks Lennon Harvey Burns Dawes Kenton Fletcher Ofori Carr Cuff
Villa: Zych Barber Munroe Appiah O’ Reilly Hart Reddin O’Reilly Archer Thorndike Goodridge

Stafford Rangers 3 Hednesford Town 1

Jul 28, 2021 | Match Report

Well, it’s the big one, the one we’ve all been waiting for, the match against Hednesford. With the away team leading 1-0 from the first leg it was set to be a tense evening at Marston road.

1st Half
Rangers started the better side and Hednesford’s defence really struggled with Rangers attacking play and in the 9th minute Rangers were awarded a free kick with Joe cuff stepping up to dispatch the ball hard & low down to the keepers right. After the goal went in the game continued to be dominated by Rangers with the Hednesford keeper making some great saves to keep the score at 1-0. However in the 34th minute Jon Moran got on the score sheet to make it 2-0 to Rangers, a great finish from the lad.

2nd Half
It was Hednesford who started the second with a bang following a goal from their number 9 Reece Styche in the 46th minute to make it 2-1. Hednesford had a lot more of the ball in the second half and made it very difficult for Rangers to get the ball. The performance levels from Rangers seemed to drop for 10-20 minutes of the second half. During the latter stages of second half the game was stretched which allowed Rangers to get on the ball more and create chances. In the 80th minute Rangers sub Thomas Carr made it 3-1 following a header from close range.

3-1 was how it finished. A great win for Rangers – a fantastic performance – well done boys!

Teams
Rangers: Brown Burns Lennon Alex Ray Harvey Dawes Moran Kenton Fletcher Charles Ofori Cuff
Hednesford: Thompson Griffiths RJ Davies Rowley Mendez-Jones Richards Rashad Mellor Styche Birch Landell

St Ives Town 1 Stafford Rangers 1

Nov 2, 2020 | Match Report

FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round

31 October 2020

Manager less Stafford Rangers went out of the FA Trophy at St Ives Town, but it was much improved performance from the NPL’s bottom club and only a last-minute penalty denied them victory. Caretaker manager Matt Hill changed the formation back to 4-4-2 and it was a plan that appeared to work as Rangers deservedly took a 13th minute lead through Joe Cuff.

The club’s leading scorer had already gone close in the first minute before he was picked out by Callum Coyle’s pass and advanced to fire past Martin Conway. The goal woke the home side up and their main outlet, Michael Gyashi, came close to an equaliser with a shot from distance after cutting inside from the left but Lewis King watched it go past the outside of his right hand post.

King then made a good save to deny Ben Seymour-Shove following a quick free kick on the St Ives left. Chances at either end became limited, but Rangers still looked comfortably in control of affairs on a heavy pitch. The home side were more prominent in the second half and the game opened up. Appeals for a penalty when Seymour-Shove went to ground were waved away. Rangers immediately countered and Coyle had half a chance to chip Conway, but the ball didn’t sit kindly, and the opportunity had gone.

Aaron Cole – making his first start for Rangers – headed into the side netting from Cieron Keane’s corner before Gyasi ended a St Ives break by shooting over. King made another good save when Seymour-Shove looked set to level after Brett Solkhon’s header had found him in space.

A speculative overhead kick from Ed Hottor was on target but straight at King who then saved at his near post from Gyasi. At the opposite end Conway had to push Cole’s free kick over the bar but St Ives were posing the greater threat and it needed a timely clearance from Sam Coulson after King had parried Michael Harding’s shot. The home side finally found a way past King in the 90th minute courtesy of a Dylan Williams penalty after Coulson had fouled Seymour-Shove.

And so, to penalties. The two sides successfully converted their first kicks but after Solkhon had put St Ives 2-1 up, Mitch Candlin saw his kick saved. Coulson skied his leaving Ben Toseland to put the home side through 4-1.

St Ives Town: 1 Martin Conway, 2 Liam Bateman, 3 Jacob Ballinger (12 Ben Toseland 83m), 4 Michael Gyasi, 5 Oran Jackon, 6 Brett Solkhon, 7 Ben Seymour-Shove, 8 Luke Howell, 9 Dylan Williams, 10 Ed Hottor (16 Michael Harding 74m), 11 Nathan Hicks. Unused Subs: 14 Kyle Lincoln, 15 Dan Clifton, 17 Mihayl Mitkov

Stafford Rangers: 1 Lewis King, 2 Michael Williams (17 Joe Kenton 41m), 3 Cieron Keane, 4 Sam Coulson, 5 Ben Forrest, 6 John Welsh, 7 Aaron Cole (15 Josh Williams 83m), 8 Alex-Ray Harvey, 9 Mitch Candlin, 10 Callum Coyle (16 Mo Sebbeh-Njie 83m), 11 Joe Cuff. Unused Subs: 12 Dan Burns, 14 Reece Jones

Ref: Alistair Wilson

Cautions: Cuff, Kenton (Rangers)

Goals: St Ives: D Williams 90 pen, Rangers: Cuff 13m

Penalty kicks: St Ives: Hicks, Solkhon, D Williams, Toseland – all scored; Rangers: Cuff scored, Candlin, Coulson both missed

Attendance: 156

Report by Chris Elsley