Stafford Rangers v Whitchurch Alport

REPORT

Rangers’ pre season programme continues to give cause for concern after their latest defeat came at home to Shropshire side Whitchurch Alport.

But, despite the result, Rangers were the better side for much of the game and the biggest worry may surround the fitness of striker Dan Cockerline who limped out of the game midway through the first half with a hamstring injury.

Rangers had started the brighter of the two sides and Aaron Opoku fired over the visitors’ bar.

Joe Robbins – he was one of the trialists who signed after the Sutton Coldfield fixture – went wide with a couple of chances then Cockerline saw an effort roll across the goal line before being cleared.

The visiting keeper Sheward then made two saves in the final minutes of the first half as he twice denied Joe Morley.

The second half was evenly congested with play switching from end to end but it was Whitchurch who opened the scoring on 72 minutes when Josh Beaumond took advantage of a poor kick out from Cam Belford which wasn’t dealt with by Sean Lawton and the Whitchurch man fired into the top corner from around 25 yards.

A second goal followed on 78 mins and again it was avoidable. This time it was a mix up between Belford and Andy Burns that let in one of the visitors’ trial players for a simple tap in.

Stafford keeper Jack Sandel came on as a substitute for Whitchurch and kept his side’s goal intact with a late save from Morley’s free kick.

Rangers: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Jacob Edwards, 3 Ben O’Hanlon, 4 James McQuilkin (Trialist B), 5 Andy Burns, 6 Jimmy O’Neill, 7 Tyrone Cadeau, 8 Joe Robbins, 9 Dan Cockerline (Joe Morley 25m) , 10 Aaron Opoku (Sean Lawton 70m), 11 Trialist A

Whitchurch: 1 Jack Sheward, 2 Trialist A, 3 Josh Madeley, 4 Ellis Turner, 5 Freddie Bishton, 6 Lewis Brown, 7 Trialist B, 8 Adam Hailes, 9 Josh Beaumond, 10 Elliot Jukes, 11 Tom Meesham. Subs Harry Farnsworth, Harry Parkinson, Lewis Bloor, Billy West

Cautions – O’Hanlon (83m)

Att 251