Stafford Rangers — Chasetown FC

REPORT

The forwards harried Chasetown into several mistakes while the defence and midfield were winning their battles.

Twice they created excellent opportunities to score but both times they failed to take them – an outcome synonymous with a side wondering when the next win will come.

Then, Chasetown’s Ty Webster was allowed to cut inside onto his left foot and he fired in a shot, from a couple of yards outside the area, that beat Arron Davies in the top corner. It was Chasetown’s first serious effort on goal but paved the way to them taking all three points from this local derby.

Rangers made three changes to the side beaten at Avro. As expected, Michael McGrath returned to Nuneaton with Jack Sherratt coming back in while Jadel Musanhu made way for Jimmy O’Neill. Ashley Fallon was the other change for Mason Rees who dropped to the bench.

Rangers created a golden chance to open the scoring on 14 minutes when Kaiman Anderson put Jack Birch through on goal. Curtis Pond did well to make the initial save which allowed time for Chasetown to get bodies back and Birch’s follow up effort was blocked on the line by Nathan Cameron.

Just a few minutes later, Birch and Anderson were involved again as another good opportunity went begging, this time it was Anderson who was kept out by Pond.

The Chasetown player became the second visiting keeper to be penalised for holding the ball for longer than the permitted eight seconds but Rangers were unable to take advantage from the resulting corner.

Despite the bright start from Rangers, they didn’t take those chances and were made to pay on 38 minutes when Webster fired them ahead.

Soon after, Joe Thompson combined with Luke Yates but fired wide. At the other end, Anderson headed wide from O’Neill’s centre.

But hopes of a Stafford fightback were dashed a couple of minutes into the second half when they conceded a soft free kick on the left.

Davies elected to punch clear but his weak effort could only reach Yates who hooked the ball into the back of the net.

Harry Flowers headed wide for Rangers while Anderson fired wide but, as time went on, hopes of salvaging anything diminished.

In the early stages of the afternoon, Chasetown had looked some way off a side wanting to make a challenge for the play offs. Even now with a two goal lead under their belts, they still looked nothing more than a middle table outfit, but they didn’t need to. They just had to get the basics right and the body language of several Rangers players indicated that the points were already lost.

Rangers did pull one back when O’Neill, playing in a striker’s role, headed home Ben O’Hanlon’s centre but it was too little, too late.

The last time Rangers won a league game was on 28 October when they thumped Stalybridge 4-0.  Since then, they have picked up just 2 points, scored 12 goals and conceded 24, losing their last six league games.

Stafford Rangers: 1 Arron Davies, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Ben O’Hanlon, 4 Jack Sherratt (15 Harley Irwin 90m), 5 Jimmy O’Neill, 6 Harry Flowers, 7 John Atherton, 8 Ashley Fallon (17 Mason Rees 75m), 9 Bradley Mansell (12 Jadel Musanhu 77m), 10 Jack Birch (14 Logan Cousins 75m), 11 Kaiman Anderson (Dylan Scott 63m).

Chasetown: 1 Curtis Pond, 2 Mitch Clarke, 3 Zach Findlay (14 Joe Dunne 78m), 4 Kieran Fenton, 5 Nathan Cameron,  6 Sam Wilding, 7 Tom Thorley, 8 Joe Thompson (12 Lewis Newman 90+2m),  9 Luke Yates (15 Brandon Newell 87m), 10 Ty Webster (18 Liam Kirton 63m), 11 George Cater (16 Jack Langston 71m).

Goals: Chasetown: Webster 39m, Yates 48m Stafford: O’Neill

Referee: Conor Ledgeway

Cautions: None

Att: 1,244

Report by Chris Elsley