Telford Town — Stafford Rangers

REPORT

Rangers were missing a number of their recent signings from the matchday squad, however they soon found their feet on another sweltering Saturday afternoon, with Ty Webster & Beto Gomes getting lots of joy down the flanks.

Beto Gomes had an impressive game at right back

The opening goal only took 12 minutes to arrive, with a familiar face getting on the scoresheet, as last season’s top goalscorer Jack Birch nodded home Gomes centred cross, following good build up play by Webster and Max Chimenes.

It was the away side who continued to dominate, with goalkeeper Leon Phillips largely taking up a spectator role in the first half as Rangers looked to add to the scoresheet, first with Andy Burns coming close with a header from a corner, before the creative Webster played a quick thinking through ball into the path of trialist A, whose low cross was diverted into the net by the Telford defender following pressure from Chimenes.

Max Chimenes forces the Telford no 5 into an own goal

Boro could have scored more in a dominant first half, Tom Tonks, making his first appearance since re-signing for the club was inches away with a curling effort from the edge of the box, and then Wealth Da Silva & Chimenes combined, with the latter poking an effort towards goal before being cleared by Telford defence.

Tom Tonks made an assured first start since his return

Half time: Telford Town 0-2 Stafford Rangers

Manager Graham Deakin introduced some different faces at half time, and it took just a few minutes for them to make an impact, firstly with Kyle Sambor hitting the crossbar with a driving effort, before a free kick was won on the left side, and this gave a shooting opportunity which trialist B took up, firing the ball into the goalkeepers left hand side, as he could only watch on.

The game petered out a little after this with both sides continuing to rotate their teams and give fresh legs an opportunity ahead of the competitive action starting, with Telford having a couple of late opportunities, although nothing that tested Russell Saunders in goal.

Burns played in the centre of defence and gave Telford no joy

Full time: Telford Town 0-3 Stafford Rangers

Boro: Phillips, Gomes, Trialist A, Dunne, Burns, Fallon, Birch, Tonks, Webster, Da Silva, Chimenes.

Boro Rolling Subs: Saunders (gk), Rushbury, Trialist B, Hearsey, Thompson, Sambor