

Details
Date | Time | Competition | Season | Day | Att |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
25/01/2025 | 3:00 pm | NPL West Division | 2024/2025 | Sat | 574 |
REPORT
Stafford Rangers came out on top in their “six pointer” clash with fellow strugglers Wythenshawe.
The result was only Rangers’ second win in seven outings and the first for caretaker manager Graham Deakin. More importantly, the gap to safety was closed to just two points with Rangers also having two games in hand on those immediately above them.
Zidan Sutherland returned to the starting line up after being unavailable for the Staffs Senior Cup tie in midweek and he went close to getting an early goal as Rangers came out full of intent.
Sutherland’s second minute free kick was heading for the top corner before being acrobatically turned away by Kyle Haslam.
Soon after, Jack Burgess – in as a late replacement for John Atherton who reported unwell – hit the base of the post following a lay off from Sutherland.
Rangers soon got their reward although it came via one of the visitors. Jimmy O’Neill headed back James McQuilkin’s corner and a lack of communication between Haslam and Andrew Keogh resulted in the latter turning the ball into his own net in the 7th minute.
Wythenshawe began to stabilize and created a couple of half chances but nothing to threaten Cam Belford who watched a shot from Darrhyl Mason roll wide while another fromRyan Shenton took a deflection off a Stafford defender.
Despite these two half chances for the visitors, Stafford remained largely in firm control and it needed a good save from Haslam to keep out a 25 yard drive from McQuilkin. The Wythenshawe keeper had to go low to his right after appearing to be unsighted.
Rangers deservedly doubled their lead on 37 minutes when Sutherland ran on to a long ball then cut in from the left before firing past the exposed Haslam.
Some late pressure from the visitors just before the interval saw Scott Wara and Andy Burns in the thick of the action to ensure Stafford went in at the break with their two goal lead.
Wythenshawe made a couple of changes at the break but they still struggled to pose a threat on the Stafford goal.
Two further substitutions on the hour had a little more impact in so much as Rangers saw less of the ball in the visitors’ penalty area but the Stafford goal remained intact with a disciplined display at the back.
But, Rangers have not made things easy for themselves this season and Wythenshawe set up a nervy finish when Tremaine Eastmond pulled one back in the 85th minute following Mason’s ball in from the right. The Wythenshawe sub came running on to the ball and fired home from just inside the area.
Dan Cockerline made a welcome return to action after injury with the forward getting a 20 minute run out and he nearly marked his appearance with a goal in added time but his effort was well blocked by Fraser Goodwin.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Ben O’Hanlon, 4 Michael McGrath, 5 James O’Neill, 6 Scott Wara, 7 Jack Burgess (16 Lewis Collins 71m), 8 James McQuilkin, 9 Zidan Sutherland (17 Dan Cockerline 71m), 10 Callum King-Harmes, 11 Kaiman Anderson. Unused Subs 12 Ashley Fallon, 14 John Atherton, 15 Joe Morley.
Wythenshawe: 1 Kyle Haslam, 2 Alastair Brown, 3 Oghenero Orhenomare (14 Louis Corrigan 46m), 4 Arron Hevingham, 5 Fraser Goodwin, 6 Luke Worth (16 Benjamin Mail 69m), 7 Darrhyl Mason, 8 Ryan Shenton (12 Noel Brindle 46m), 9 Andrew Keogh, 10 Michael Monaghan (15 Tremaine Eastmond 60m), 11 Abdullahi Ahmed (17 William Igoe 60m).
Referee: Daniel Ellis
Cautions: Anderson (Stafford), Goodwin, Shenton, Ahmed (Wythenshawe)
Attendance: 574
Report by Chris Elsley
2 | 1 |
6 | 1 |
5 | 1 |
2 | 1 |
1 | 3 |
0 | 0 |
KO KO 7 16 37 45 45 45 61 61 69 71 72 84 86 89 FT
Past Meetings
Date | Home | Results | Away | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wythenshawe | 2 - 1 | Stafford Rangers |