Stafford Rangers v Nantwich Town

REPORT

Stafford Rangers enjoyed an excellent 3-0 win over in form Nantwich Town in front of an excellent Boxing Day crowd of 1,222.

Rangers named new signings Akeem Hinds and Callum Saunders in their starting line up with Joe Dunne dropping to the bench as he missed his first league game of the season.

Rangers made the early running and came close to an 8th minute opener when Alex Kiwomya outwitted Perry Bircumshaw on the right but Kaiman Anderson’s back healed flick went just the wrong side of the far post.

Two minutes later, Jack Baxter set up Joe Willis but his 30 yarder was well saved by visiting keeper Thomas Booth who went full stretch to his right to tip away for a corner.

Kiwomya was giving Bircumshaw plenty of problems on the Rangers’ right but it was his free kick from the left wing that saw Jimmy O’Neill head the home side in front on 17 minutes.

Nantwich nearly replied within a minute as Luis Morrison-Derbyshire only half cleared Bircumshaw’s throw allowing Thomas Scully to get in a 20 yard drive that Callum Belford failed to hold. Fortunately, for the Rangers’ keeper, the ball bounced away from goal and the danger averted.

Booth made another finger tip save to prevent Saunders from scoring against his former club before Baxter shot low at the Dabbers’ keeper.

Rangers were on top at this stage but the occasional lapse kept Nantwich interested and the unmarked Dan Cockerline should have done better when he put his header a couple of yards wide.

Nantwich’s plans were disrupted when Curtis Morrison was forced out of the game with an injury just before half time but they didn’t let it affect them and enjoyed a good five minute spell but Byron Henderson’s scuffed shot failed to test Belford while it needed a timely intervention from Morrison-Derbyshire to keep out Cockerline. The final action of the half saw James Caton’s shot deflected wide.

Nantwich were hit by another injury early in the second half as captain Matt Bell limped off and Rangers added further woe to their afternoon when Kaiman Anderson doubled the lead on 52 minutes.

Anderson benefited as Baxter’s shot struck Harry Nevin and fell kindly into the path of the Rangers’ striker.

After Saunders had failed to take a chance to make it 3-0, Rangers survived a scare at the other end as Morrison-Derbyshire was caught out by Nevin’s long ball leaving Cockerline through on goal but Rangers were saved when his lob over Belford bounced back off the post.

It was a day when Lady Luck was in no mood to give Nantwich any joy. Instead, keeper Booth handed out a late Christmas present when he scuffed a pass out to Nevin and gave Anderson the simplest of tap ins on 61 minutes.

The goal prompted Nantwich’s third substitution of the afternoon as Levi Chiduka replaced Harrison. Meanwhile, the tiring Saunders kept searching for his debut goal but his was out of luck as Bircumshaw blocked another effort from the former Ashton United man.

With victory looking more assured, Rangers made a double substitution with a little over 10 minutes remaining. At the same time, Nantwich were paying the price of having used all three replacements as Cockerline went off with a shoulder injury and the visitors had to play out with just 10 men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Nantwich had a chance to reduce the arrears but Bircumshaw could only find the side netting from a good position on the left hand side of the area and Rangers were left to celebrate their biggest win of the season.

Stafford: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Akeem HInds, 4 Jack Baxter, 5 Luis Morrison-Derbyshire, 6 Jimmy O’Neill, 7 Alex Kiwomya (15 Joe Kenton 79m), 8 Tom Tonks, 9 Kaiman Anderson (16 Jaiden White 79m), 10 Callum Saunders (12 Ethan Stewart 90m), 11 Joe Willis. Unused subs 14 Joe Dunne, 17 Alex-Ray Harvey

Nantwich Town: 1 Thomas Booth, 2 Herry Nevin, 3 Perry Bircumshaw, 4 Troy Bourne, 5 Jon Moran, 6 Curtis Morrison (17 Mwiya Malumo 39m), 7 James Caton, 8 Matt Bell (12 Caspar Hughes 47m), 9 Dan Cockerline, 10 Thomas Scully, 11 Byron Harrison (15 Levi Chiduka 62m). Unused Subs 14 Jack Sherratt, 16 Sean Lawton

Referee: Harry Warner

Cautions: None

Att : 1,222

Report by Chris Elsley