Stafford Rangers v Bamber Bridge

REPORT

Stafford Rangers earned themselves a point in their fight to get away from the bottom four but results elsewhere saw them drop a place to 20th in the table.

The pitch at the Stan Robinson Stadium was in remarkably good condition considering the amount of rain that had fallen in the previous 48 hours.

With no win in 8 going into this clash, Matt Hill made further changes to the starting line up with Braulio “Edy” Maieco and James Carvell making their debut’s while Taylor McMahon continued at left back having had his first start in the defeat at Guiseley a week earlier.

It was a more positive display from the home side with Maieco showing his skills on the right hand side while Niah Payne testing the fight back on the opposite wing.

The visitors were first to show and Louis Holt should have done better from a clipped Harry Benns centre but his header looped up and over the Stafford cross bar.

Rangers got a look in a couple of minutes later as Maieco took advantage of an error from Brig defender Danny Forbes to play in Carvell but his shot was gathered comfortably by James Pradic.

At the other end, Can Belford parried away a shot from ex Rangers Jack Baxter after Holt had combined with Chris Churchman.

Maieco looked the most likely source of a breakthrough for Stafford as he saw his square ball just elude both Kaiman Anderson and Payne then his free kick swung just wide of the target.

But it was the visitors who grabbed the lead in the 27th minute. Holt did well to chest down a long ball from Olatunde Bayode. Baxter pounced on the loose ball and worked his way past a couple of Stafford defenders before poking it past Belford.

Soon after, another ex Ranger, Harry Benns, also found an easy route to goal but shot wide from just outside the Stafford area.

Rangers got themselves back level on 37 minutes when Anderson squeezed the ball past Pradic following Carvell’s free kick and the two sides went in to the break all square after Benns had sliced badly wide for the visitors.

Brig threatened early in the second half with Baxter forcing a good save from Belford after an initial shot from Harry Scarborough had been blocked. Rangers’ response came from a Payne header which Pradic held with an elaborate dive to his right.

Simon Njaria produced a battling man of the match performance in the Stafford midfield – epitomised by creating a chance for Maieco one minute then blocking a shot from Baxter the next.

Rangers replaced Carvell with the improving Jay Ford but the substitute’s game time was restricted to just three minutes as he picked up a knee injury making a tackle.

Despite this set back, Rangers finished the stronger of the two sides with Maeico trying his luck from the edge of the area before Pradic flicked away a dangerous cross from Anderson.

A free kick from Maeico went just off target as did a late header from Nathan Blissett as Rangers had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Stafford: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Sam Bird, 3 Taylor McMahan, 4 Jake Moult, 5 Ethan Stewart, 6 Simon Njaria, 7 Edy Maieco, 8 Joe Willis, 9 Kaiman Anderson (12 Nathan Blissett 89m), 10 James Carvell (14 Jay Ford 73m (16 Keke Jeffers 79m)), 11 Niah Payne. Unused Subs: 15 Andy Burns, 17 Aaron Braithwaite

Bamber Bridge: 1 James Pradic, 2 Zak Dempster-Down (14 Danny Edwards 66m), 3 Olatunde Bayode, 4 Danny Forbes, 5 Macauley Wilson, 6 Michael Potts, 7 Harry Scarborough, 8 Jack Baxter, 9 Louis Holt (16 Sam Billington 77m), 10 Chris Churchman, 11 Harry Benns (12 Mark Cullen 83m). Unused Subs 15 Sky Sinclair, 17 Mackenzie O’Neill

Referee: Luke Bowles

Cautions: Bird (Rangers), Pradic, Bayode, Wilson, Potts, Holt (Bamber Bridge)

Att: 514

Report by Chris Elsley