Kidsgrove Athletic v Stafford Rangers

REPORT

Stafford Rangers recorded their first league win in six games thanks to a late Kaiman Anderson goal at Kidsgrove Athletic.

Rangers’ manager Neil Kitching made four changes to the line up that started in Tuesday’s defeat at home to Witton Albion. Dan Cockerline missed out due to a minor hamstring injury with Joe Cuff, Callum Wilson and Zidan Sutherland dropping to the bench. In came Ash Fallon, Mason Rees and James McQuilkin with Anderson replacing Sutherland.

For Rees, who had impressed in a second half showing against Witton, it was a short lived return as the midfielder picked up a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Wilson after just 4 minutes. Fallon dropped to a defensive midfield role and went on to produce a man of the match performance.

Kidsgrove went into the game with a 100% home record and came close to enhancing that status with a powerful header from Joshua Thorpe but it was straight into the hands of Arron Davies.

The game was keenly contested with Rangers playing some good football without particularly testing the home keeper. Kidsgrove managed to create a couple of good chances but failed to take them, most notably when Logan Cousins broke through on the stroke of half time.

When Rangers did find a way behind the Grove defence, Scott Wara’s header lacked the quality needed to test Aaron Woolrich.

At the other end, Davies opted for safety first in turning over a looping header from Matt Rhead before blocking Cousins’ chance after the Grove man had beaten the Stafford offside trap. In between, Stafford had a let off when the referee failed to spot Wara pulling back Rhead by his shirt.

Alex Barnett forced another save from Davies early in the second half while a low drive from Fallon was cut out by Thorpe.

Kidsgrove made a double substitution on the hour while Stafford’s Andy Burns went off with an ankle injury.

Callum Middleton, one of the Kidsgrove subs, should have opened the scoring shortly after coming on when he was set up by Jack Bromfield but Davies made an excellent close range stop.

Jack Birch was the first Stafford player to ask a real question of Woolrich. McQuilkin set him up well and Birch’s shot was heading for the top corner until the Kidsgrove keeper leapt to his right to push it away.

McQuilkin himself squandered a chance soon after but Anderson finally opened his account for the season when he struck the winner in the 80th minute.

The Stafford forward received a long ball then played an exchange with Joe Thomas before firing past Woolrich. The keeper should probably have done better as the ball spun in to the net after he got a hand to it.
Cousins wasted a great chance to level a couple of minutes later when he fired wide with just Davies to beat while a good volley from Nathan Morley went just over the Stafford bar.

On the balance of play, Stafford just about deserved the win as Kitching got the response he wanted.

Kidsgrove Athletic: 1 Aaron Woolrich, 2 Reuben Falding, 3 Nathan Morley, 4 Oliver Jepson, 5 Shaun Rhodes, 6 Joshua Thorpe (12 George Cooper 60m), 7 Henry Brereton (14 Jay Snook 88m), 8 Jack Bromfield, 9 Matt Rhead (15 Callum Middleton 60m), 10 Logan Cousins, 11 Alex Barnett (17 Zayn Sadiq 76m). Unused Sub 16 Charlie Bradbury

Stafford Rangers: 1 Arron Davies, 2 Andy Burns (14 Callum Wilson 61m) 3 Jack Sherratt, 4 Mason Rees (16 Joe Thomas (17 Tomasi Wara 90+1m)), 5 Jimmy O’Neill, 6 Scott Wara, 7 John Atherton, 8 Jack Birch, 9 Kaiman Anderson, 10 James McQuilkin, 11 Ash Fallon. Unused Subs 12 Joe Cuff, 15 Zidan Sutherland

Goals: Anderson (Stafford 80m)

Referee: Jack Lambert

Cautions: Thomas, McQuilkin (Stafford)

Att: 867

Report by Chris Elsley