Stafford Rangers v Warrington Town

REPORT

Stafford Rangers put on a much improved display than of late but had to settle for a point from an entertaining game at Marston Road.

Disappointing defeats to Belper and Matlock Town had seen Rangers slip from top spot but they showed much more determination when they came up against a Warrington side that is likely to be competing around the top five by the end of the campaign.

Apart from Joe Kenton and Adam Livingstone switching shirts, it was an unchanged side from the starting XI that faced Matlock.

Warrington looked happy to play the ball across the back but, as Rangers fans may remember from the Jody Banim era, that can prove a dangerous tactic at Northern Premier League level and Tom Tonks almost hammered home the point when he robbed Bohan Dixon but couldn’t manage to find the target from 20 yards out.

Warrington always looked a threat going forward with Isaac Buckley-Ricketts proving a tricky opponent.

It was the Warrington number 9 who produced his side’s first shot on goal when he found space past Ethan Stewart but Cameron Belford was able to parry the shot out for a corner.

After another period of play across the back, Warrington launched a quick attack through James Harris who sent Stefan Mols away but, this time, Stewart was able to do his job and block the shot.

Kaiman Anderson was just unable to steer the ball past Anthony Thompson from Tonks’ free kick which still nearly ended up in the back of the net, going the wrong side of the post by a matter of inches.

Tonks placed another shot straight at the visiting keeper but it was Warrington who should have got themselves in front on the stroke of half time when Buckley-Ricketts was left unmarked but could only head wide of the goal.

Both sides had chances early in the second half with Buckley-Ricketts turning over a mis-hit shot from Dixon while Mols had to hurry the ball away before Kaiman Anderson pounced on an error from Thompson.

Belford then saved from Buckley-Ricketts before Thompson denied Adam Livingstone.

The game needed a goal and it was Rangers who got it on 57 minutes.

Not for the first time, Dixon was caught in possession and Jack Baxter advanced to the edge of the Warrington area. Harris’ defensive efforts only picked out Kenton on the edge of the area and he had the relatively simple task of rolling the ball into an unguarded net.

Buckley-Ricketts should have levelled soon after when he was put clear via a poor defensive header from Joe Willis. The Warrington man took the ball wide of Belford but then put his shot wide of the post and into the side netting.

Visiting sub Josh Amis almost scored with his first touch but Buckley-Ricketts finally got his goal to level the scores on 74 mins when he slid in to convert a dangerous ball across goal from Mikey Howard.

Howard himself went close to putting Warrington ahead as Rangers looked vulnerable at the back but they still posed a threat themselves at the other end and saw Livingstone, Tonks and Kenton all fail to test the keeper when well placed.

Both sides kept pressing for a winner to the end. Alex Kiwomya and Anderson had Rangers’ best chances – both in the final minute – but the former was kept out by Thompson and the latter fired wide.

Warrington almost punished a poor clearance from Belford when Buckley-Ricketts played in Amis. The Stafford keeper made an excellent save although the offside flag was already raised. In the final action, Stewart diverted a goalbound header from Howard out for a corner and it was a deserved share of the points for the two sides.

Stafford Rangers: 1 Cameron Belford, 2 Harry Nevin, 3 Joe Dunne, 4 Jack Baxter, 5 Ethan Stewart, 6 Luis Morrison-Derbyshire, 7 Joe Kenton, 8 Tom Tonks, 9 Kaiman Anderson, 10 Joe Willis, 11 Adam Livingstone (14 Alex Kiwomya 84m) Unused Subs 12 Ntumba Massanka, 15 Darius Smith, 16 Nathan Caine, 17 Jaiden White

Warrington: 1 AnthonyThompson, 2 Joshua Seary, 3 Andy White, 4 Evan Gumbs, 5 Thomas Hannigan, 6 James Harris, 7 Stefan Mols (12 Josh Amis 68m), 8 Sean Williams, 9 Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, 10 Bohan Dixon (14 Matthew McDonald 88m), 11 Luke Duffy (15 Michael Howard 62m). Unused Subs 16 Declan Walker, 17 Teddy Mfuni

Cautions: Dunne (Stafford)

Ref: Richard Eley

Att: 406

Report: Chris Elsley