Nantwich Town v Stafford Rangers

REPORT

Stafford Rangers picked up the point that they needed to mathematically secure their NPL Premier Division status with a battling display at Nantwich Town on Monday.

A strong wind spoiled the game as a spectacle – largely too strong to benefit either the side in both attack and defence.

Nantwich – for whom the draw did little to boost their fight against relegation – had the wind in their backs during the first half but it only served to blow the ball down field to Stafford keeper Cam Belford.
At times, Rangers did try to play the ball out from the back but it was tough going with the result that the game produced few chances at either end.

Rangers were missing central defender Jimmy O’Neill who picked up a hamstring injury in Saturday’’s victory over Whitby Town with Derek Ubah making a return to the starting line up after an impressive display as O’Neill’s replacement. Also returning was Callum Saunders in place of Nathan Blissett while Ethan Morgan replaced Joe Willis.

Nantwich’s plans were dealt a blow by the early departure of Jon Moran. The former Stafford player took a blow to the head defending a throw as early as the second minute and was unable to continue.

Stafford created the first chance of the game but Saunders was off balance at the back post and unable to keep his shot down.

Nantwich responded with two efforts borne out of free kicks. The first saw Dan Cockerline head well wide while Steven Hewitt sent his shot into the side netting.

Rangers opened the scoring on 34 minutes. Jack Baxter picked out Morgan on the right. Kaiman Anderson allowed his low centre to run through and Saunders was left with the easiest of tasks against his old club.

Nantwich forward Sean Cooke has scored crucial goals against Stafford several times in the past and he almost manufactured another to his name when he threatened to work his way in to space on the edge of the area. Eventually, he was outnumbered and the danger cleared.

But it was Cooke who was behind the Nantwich equaliser when it came four minutes into added time at the end of the first half. His cross from the left glanced off the head of Cockerline and past Belford.

The wind dropped a little for the second half but so did notable action between the two teams.

It took some 25 minutes before either side threatened. When it came, the chance fell to Anderson following a flick on by substitute Blissett, but his header failed to hit the target.

With less than ten minutes left on the clock, Ethan Stewart probably should have scored when he was on the end of a throw from Tonks but somehow managed to put the ball wide.

In between those two efforts for Stafford, Nantwich captain Troy Bourne headed against the cross bar from Hewitt’s corner.

Some bemusing decisions from referee Richard Abson ensured a stop-start finish to the game while the anticipated late surge from the home side never materialised.

Nantwich Town: 1 Tom Booth, 2 Aidan Roxburgh, 3 Perry Bircumshaw, 4 Nathan Okome, 5 Jopn Moran (14 Joel Connelly 7m), 6 Troy Bourne, 7 Tom Scully (12 Connor Evans 78m), 8 Steven Hewitt, 9 Dan Cockerline, 10 Sean Cooke, 11 Byron Harrison. Unused Subs 15 Mo Malumo, 16 Ivan Urvantev, 17 Liam Humbles

Stafford: 1 Cameron Belford, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Joe Dunne, 4 Alex-Ray Harvey, 5 Ethan Stewart, 6 Derek Ubah, 7 Ethan Morgan (12 Nathan Blissett 65m), 8 Tom Tonks, 9 Kaiman Anderson, 10 Callum Saunders (14 Joe Willis 77m) 11 Jack Baxter. Unused Subs 13 Kieran Boucher, 15 Tyreece Onyeka – only four subs named

Referee: Richard Abson

Cautions: Bourne, Hewitt, Connelly (Nantwich) Burns, Morgan, Anderson, Dale Belford (Rangers)

Att 631

Report by Chris Elsley