Details

Date Time Competition Season Day Att
08/02/2025 3:00 pm NPL West Division 2024/2025 Sat 877

REPORT

It’s now four wins on the bounce for Stafford Rangers. Their latest success came at home to Nantwich Town in a game that marked the return home for management team Neil Kitching and Nick Amos.

The duo were in place for last week’s win at Kidsgrove and they kept up the good start to their battle against relegation with another 3 point haul.

There was one change to the line up with Zidan Sutherland having returned to Hednesford. Dan Cockerline came in for his start since dislocating his shoulder at Chasetown 3 months ago.

Visitors Nantwich started brightly and could have scored inside the first minute. Byron Harrison sent Alex Panter away. He cut in from the left but saw his shot strike the outside of the far post before it eventually settled into the arms of Cam Belford.

Rangers soon responded with Callum King-Harmes finding Cockerline after beating Joe Bunney but the recalled striker was unable to find a finish.

Instead, it was King-Harmes himself who made the early breakthrough. Ashley Fallon did well to get the ball out to the wide midfielder and he again got the better of Bunney before striking the ball past Ben Garratt to put Rangers one up in the 8th minute.

Play remained competitive but with neither side really testing the keeper. They were not helped by referee Andrew Biggin who seemed keen on halting play at every opportunity and not allowing the game to flow. Biggin brandished 11 yellow cards in a game that didn’t have a bad tackle although, in defence of the official, several were for acts of time wasting and displays of dissent.

Rangers managed to hold their lead into the half time break but the visitors were again quickest out of the blocks after the interval and got a deserved equaliser on 56 minutes when James Melhado’s cross landed on the foot of Harrison and the Nantwich forward was left with a simple task.

Rangers had another set back when Ben O’Hanlon was forced off with an injury but the introduction of Scott Wara as his replacement gave the defence some added security.

John Atherton was also back in the squad after missing the last three games with illness and came on to play his part as Rangers restored their lead on 76 minutes.

Substitute Atherton linked well with James McQuilkin on the right before being bundled over by Perry Bircumshaw. Cockerline’s penalty was saved by Garratt but he followed up to smash home the rebound.

Nantwich pressed for a late equaliser but found the home side in dogged and determined mood that this one wasn’t going to get away from them. The best chance the visitors had came in the final minute of added time when the ball fell to Panter but he sent his shot high over the bar.

A fourth consecutive win – for the first time in 8 years – takes Rangers up to 16th in the table, their highest placing since mid October.

 

 

Stafford Rangers: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Ben O’Hanlon (12 Scott Wara 66m), 4 Jack Burgess, 5 Michael McGrath, 6 James O’Neill, 7 Callum King-Harmes, 8 Ashley Fallon (15 Ackeme Francis-Burrell 72m), 9 Dan Cockerline, 10 James McQuilkin, 11 Kaiman Anderson (14 John Atherton 57m). Unused Subs: 16 Max Barlow, 17 Joe Morley

Nantwich Town: 1 Ben Garratt, 2 James Melhado, 3 Joseph Bunney (14 Perry Bircumshaw 60m), 4 Kelvin Mellor, 5 Troy Bourne, 6 Patrick Kennedy (15 Joe Robbins 72m), 7 Tom Pratt, 8 Matthew Tweedley (12 Nathan Sandison 82m), 9 Alex Panter, 10 Byron Harrison (16 Callum Saunders 77m), 11 Kofi Moore. Unused Subs 17 Darren Thornton

Referee: Andrew Biggin

Cautions: Belford, Burgess, McGrath, O’Neill, McQuilkin, Nick Amos (Stafford) Mellor, Bourne, Tweedley, Panter, Bircumshaw (Nantwich)

Attendance: 877

Report by Chris Elsley

 

Ground

Marston Road
Marston Road, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST16 3BX

Stafford Rangers

1Cameron Belford 96'
2Andrew Burns
3Ben O’Hanlon 12
4Jack Burgess 85'
5Michael McGrath 31'
6James O’Neill 11'
7Callum King-Harmes 9'
8Ashley Fallon 15
9Dan Cockerline 76'
10James McQuilkin 38'
11Kaiman Anderson 14
12Scott Wara 3
14John Atherton 11
15Ackeme Francis-Burrell 8
16Max Barlow
17Joe Morley

Nantwich Town

1Ben Garratt
2James Melhado
3Joe Bunney 14
4Kelvin Mellor 61'
5Troy Bourne 39'
6Paddy Kennedy 15
7Tom Pratt
8Matthew Tweedley 12 67'
9Alex Panter 91'
10Byron Harrison 16 57'
11Kofi Moore
12Nathan Sandison 8
14Perry Bircumshaw 3
15Joe Robbins 6
16Callum Saunders 10
17Darren Thornton
Goals
2
1
Total Shots
3
7
Shots on Target
3
1
Assists
1
1
Yellow Cards
5
4
Red Cards
0
0

Stafford Rangers KO Nantwich Town Badge KO 9 11 31 38 39 57 57 60 61 66 67 72 72 76 77 84 85 91 96 FT

Past Meetings

DateHomeResultsAwayTime
Nantwich TownStafford Rangers
Nantwich TownStafford Rangers
Stafford RangersNantwich Town
Nantwich TownStafford Rangers
Stafford RangersNantwich Town