Atherton Collieries v Stafford Rangers

REPORT

Stafford Rangers’ topsy-turvy start to the season continued on Saturday as they were beaten 3-1 away at Atherton Collieries in an NPL West encounter played out in horrendous weather conditions that saw sunshine, heavy rain, hail and a blustery wind all in one afternoon.

With Neil Kitching absent from the away dug out, it was down to Nick Amos to lead an unnamed starting XI from the previous week, when Rangers dispatched Boldmere in the FA Trophy.

Things started brightly again for Boro’ with the centre midfield pair of Jack’s, (Birch and Sherratt) playing tidy football across the park whilst John Atherton and Kaiman Anderson were quickly involved in the opening exchanges, offering a threat to the Atherton full backs as the home side negotiated defending against the slope in the first half.

The first chance of the game, however, fell to the home side in the 9th minute when Dominic Richmond advanced down the right before delivering an enticing cross which led to an initial Jimmy O’Neill block before Andy Burns threw himself in front of Joe Piggott’s goalbound effort to keep the game level.

Richmond was involved again moments later when he found himself on the edge of the box following Ben Rydel’s long throw, the front man testing Callum Smith from range with a stinging effort that the ‘keeper had to initially parry before gathering.

Boro’ grew back into the game, firstly with a Sherratt shot which was charged down by Niall Battersby, and then it was the probing Atherton who picked the pocket of Javid Swaby-Neavin and laid the ball into the path of Dan Cockerline who hesitated when trying to find his feet and allowed Jack Dallimore in the Atherton goal to smother and collect the ball.

Just moments later, in the 25th minute, Cockerline found himself in a similar position from another Atherton through ball, however the result was the same as Dallimore was out quickly.

Within thirty seconds, the hosts were ahead as a long ball found its way to the edge of the Boro’ box, and with the defensive line and Smith hesitating, Kielen Adams seized the opportunity. He burst through, took the bouncing ball down past Smith, then fired a left-footed half volley from an acute angle into the back of the net.

Boro’ thought they were back on level terms in the 39th minute when some good work in midfield allowed Anderson to find himself with space on the left hand-side to deliver a whipped right-footed cross which Birch pounced on to, only to see his effort crash off the underside of the crossbar, bouncing on the line before the grateful Dallimore gathered.

If Boro wanted to get something out of the game, they would not have wished for the second-half to unfold as early as it did, as, within two minutes of play, the hosts had doubled their lead.

Great work by the impressive Richmond saw him cut across from the right and find Chinedu Uche on the edge of the box. After working his way into the area, Uche delivered a left-footed shot through the legs of Callum Wilson and into Smith’s bottom left corner.

It took until the 58th minute for Stafford to create another opportunity of note, and this time they were rewarded when O’Neill played a sweet diagonal ball across the pitch to the right, which Atherton brought down superbly before outfoxing his man and delivering an inviting cross which Cockerline diverted into the net with a glancing header.

With the visitors now in the ascendancy, they thought they were back on level terms in the 68th minute when Wilson found himself in space on the edge of the box and with time to strike a powerful right-footed shot past Dallimore but, to the disappointment of the travelling Boro’ faithful, into the side netting.

With the game now more open, the hosts had a chance to replenish their two-goal advantage, when Adams showed good footwork to advance through the Boro’ midfield where he found Uche, who manoeuvred onto his right foot before sending a shot at goal which Smith seemingly tried to hold with the ball coming out of his hands in the wet conditions and going just over the crossbar and out for a corner.

And it was from that corner, in the 73rd minute, that Colls did extend their lead. The Boro struggled to clear Rydel’s flag kick. The ball came back in via an in-swinging cross which found the unmarked Battersby just outside the six-yard box to head past a stationary Smith.

As the game closed out, frustration showed amongst the away players as they struggled to make get back into it; substitute Joe Cuff had an opportunity when he advanced from the left before sending a shot wide of the target, however the hosts could have also added to their tally with Uche sending an effort wide and sub Ethan Kershaw who tried to put the ball over Smith in the Boro’ goal but couldn’t find the target.

Atherton: 1 Jack Dallimore, 2 Ben Rydel, 3 Javid Swaby-Neavin (12 Alex Doyle 67m) 4 Luke Nock, 5 Niall Battersby, 6 Calen Gallagher-Allison, 7 Sam Sheridan (16 Rodney Ajayi 54m) 8 Joe Piggott, 9 Kielen Adams (14 Ethan Kershaw 85m) 10 Chinedu Uche, 11 Dominic Richmond (15 Sonny Reeves 59m) Unused sub: 17 Kier Barry

Stafford Rangers: 1 Callum Smith, 2 Callum Wilson, 3 Alex Worley, 4 Jack Sherratt (16 Mason Rees 78) 5 Andy Burns, 6 Jimmy O’Neill, 7 John Atherton (12 Zidan Sutherland 71m) 8 Jack Birch (14 Ashley Fallon 78m) 9 Dan Cockerline, 10 Kaiman Anderson (17 Joe Cuff 61m) 11 James McQuilkin Unused sub: 15 Ben O’Hanlon

Goals: Atherton: Adams 26m, Uche 48m, Battersby 73m Stafford: Cockerline 58m

Referee: Daniel McDonald

Cautions: Nock (Atherton) O’Neill, Cockerline (Stafford)

Att: 272

Report by Craig Cartwright