Stafford Rangers v City of Liverpool FC

REPORT

Joe Cuff hit a second half hat trick as Stafford Rangers turned on the style against bottom of the table City of Liverpool to boost their own fight against relegation.

Few could have foreseen what was about to happen as Rangers went in at the break a goal down and goalkeeper Cam Belford out of the game with an injury.

But Rangers’ manager Dale Belford is not one to accept defeat and his side came out on full throttle and reaped the rewards.

Rangers were dealt a pre match blow when Andy Burns was ruled out due to an infection while Ashley Fallon was also on the injury list. Callum King-Harmes stepped in at right back and Callum Coyle partnered Kaiman Anderson in attack. Another change saw the return of Scott Wara after returning from international duty with Fiji.

Without creating too much of a threat – a low drive from Cuff was the best they could produce -, Rangers dominated the opening 15 minutes before Liverpool began to find their feet and the visitors could have taken the lead had Andy Owens managed to connect with the ball after being played in by Callum Schorah.

A couple of minutes later, Belford made a superb reflex save to turn away a close range header from Jadel Mushanu.

But Belford’s game came to a sudden end on 34 mins when he went down with a calf injury. Fortunately, reserve keeper Jack Sandel was one of the five substitutes and he came on for his third NPL appearance.

The young keeper was left helpless a couple of minutes before half time when City took the lead. A good cross field ball from Aaron Fleming found Xenon Bahula on the right. He out foxed Ben O’Hanlon to create space and fired the visitors ahead.

Rangers came close to a leveller on the stroke of half time when Jack Burgess’ free kick struck the post via the head of City captain Simon Wills.

Anderson was denied by Nicolas Michalski early in the second half before the England U18 keeper turned over a shot from John Atherton.

But, Rangers got themselves back on level terms on 57 minutes when Cuff pounced at the back post after Anderson had done well to beat two defenders on the right.

Bahula missed a chance to restore the lead for Liverpool but the final half hour more or less belonged to Rangers.

Defender Jimmy O’Neill came on to add some muscle to the attack and it was his long throw that resulted in Rangers going ahead on 66 minutes. The ball wasn’t cleared and Wara forced it home in a scramble after Michalski had saved from Anderson and had also kept out Wara’s initial follow up.

Liverpool briefly flirted with hopes of an equaliser and Sandel had to go low to his right to push away a shot from Eion Hogan.

But Cuff eased the Stafford nerves when he put Rangers 3-1 up on 80 minutes after being picked out with a first time ball over the defence from O’Neill.

It was 4-1 and game over three minutes later when Wara dived to head in a shot from Cuff after Jack Burgess’ free kick.

Cuff completed his hat trick – the first by a Stafford player since Jake Charles’ v Hednesford in December 2018 – on 86 minutes when he was allowed to steal in to convert Atherton’s centre.

James McQuilkin wrapped up the scoring and Rangers’ biggest league win for nine years with a minute of normal time remaining. Another Burgess free kick wasn’t cleared and McQuilkin’s drive from just inside the area squirmed under the body of Michalski.

Stafford Rangers: 1 Cameron Belford (13 Jack Sandel 38m), 2 Callum King-Harmes, 3 Ben O’Hanlon, 4 James McQuilkin, 5 Michael McGrath, 6 Scott Wara, 7 John Atherton (16 Reinaldo Forbes 90+5m), 8 Jack Burgess, 9 Kaiman Anderson, 10 Callum Coyle (15 James O’Neill 58m), 11 Joe Cuff (12 Joe Morley 90+2m). Unused Subs 17 Oliver Jepson

City of Liverpool: 1 Nicolas Michalski, 2 Ethan Jones (12 Finlay Heath 87m), 3 Aaron Fleming, 4 Jadel Musanhu, 5 Adam Rooney, 6 Simon Wills, 7 Xenon Bahula, 8 Eion Hogan (15 Evan Smith 87m), 9 Andy Owens (14 Malakai Fry 79m), 10 Callum Schorah (17 Alex Northover 79m), 11 Michael Howard. Unused Subs 16 Ishmael Sonko

Referee: Peter Dingle

Cautions: McQuilkin, McGrath (Stafford) Fleming, Mushanu, Wills, Hogan (City of Liverpool)

Attendance: 599

Report by Chris Elsley