Stafford Rangers v Quorn AFC

REPORT

Stafford Rangers enjoyed a break from league action to pick up a much needed victory to see off the challenge of Quorn in their FA Trophy 1st Round tie.

There has been criticism of Rangers’ style of play from some quarters but they threw off the shackles to hit five goal in a game for the first time in 18 months.

In the end it was a comfortable victory but it wasn’t all plain sailing for the Boro who twice had to come from behind against the Leicestershire side from the Northern Premier League Midlands Division – one step below their hosts.

After Rangers had made a bright start, it was the visitors who went ahead as early as the 8th minute.

Silvio Bello was given too much time on the Quorn left after receiving the ball from Paddy Webb. His shot came down off the underside of the cross bar and Tyrell Shannon-Lewis was quickest to react and headed in from close range.

Rangers had a couple of half chances to get level but a shot from Niah Payne didn’t test Charlie Woods in the visitors’ goal while Nathan Blissett failed to get enough contact on the ball as his glanced header went wide.

But the deserved equaliser came on the half hour through a Kaiman Anderson penalty after Woods had clattered into Ethan Stewart. The referee initially awarded a goal kick before deciding to consult with his assistant.

Back on level terms, Rangers looked a more settled side and came close to taking a lead into the break but Woods smothered the ball as Jake Moult battled his way into the danger area while James Carvell’s free kick deflected over off the Quorn wall with the last kick of the half.

Quorn restored their lead five minutes after the restart. A long pass from Bello put Webb in and, despite the close attentions of Stewart and Moult, he managed to create a yard of space and slammed the ball into the roof of the Stafford net.

Rangers struck back quickly with a classical striker’s goal as Blissett rose high to head in Sam Bird’s cross on 54 minutes.

Four minutes later Rangers went ahead for the first time in the game with James Carvell firing home after linking well with Payne.

Webb fired over for the visitors but Rangers were now in the ascendency and Simon Njaria made it 4-2 on 63 minutes with a left foot volley from Cavell’s corner.

Bird was in the thick of the action at both ends of the pitch as he almost bundled the ball in to his own net then launched a long throw that Quorn keeper Woods spilled on to the post.

Man of the match Njaria all but secured the win in the 75th minute when he pounced on a loose ball in the Quorn area. His first touch took it past former Port Vale man Chris Robertson and, with his second, he fired past Woods.

Webb reduced the arrears deep in to added time after taking the ball around Cameron Belford but there were no alarms as Rangers progressed to the 2nd round.

Stafford: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Sam Bird, 3 Taylor McMahan, 4 Jake Moult, 5 Ethan Stewart, 6 Simon Njaria, 7 Kaiman Anderson, 8 Joe Willis, 9 Nathan Blissett (17 Keke Jeffers 85m), 10 James Carvell (12 Aaron Braithwaite 74m), 11 Niah Payne (18 Lewis Keeling 90+4m). Unused Subs: 13 Jack Sandel, 14 Ben Woods, 15 Andy Burns, 16 Ethan Morgan

Quorn: 1 Charlie Woods, 2 Charlie Marzano, 3 Silvio Bello, 4 Kyle Bryant, 19 Chris Robertson, 15 Pat Zito, 7 Jack Samples (14 Josh Steele 87m), 8 Tom Hilton, 9 Paddy Webb, 10 Courey Grantham, 11 Tyrell Shannon-Lewis (16 Billy Kee 63m). Unused sub: 12 Ant Carney – only 3 subs named.

Referee: Joe Cunningham

Cautions: Moult, Willis (Rangers) Woods (Quorn)

Att: 507

Report by Chris Elsley