Worksop Town v Stafford Rangers

REPORT

Stafford Rangers’ dropped to the bottom of the table as they were thumped 5-0 at Worksop Town.

With Rangers winless in 10 going into the game, it was always going to be a tough night away to a side chasing promotion.

Rangers were hit before the game as Nathan Blissett and Taylor McMahon both reported ill then Tyreece Onyeka had a recurrence of the hamstring injury that has troubled him for several weeks.

The home side dominated the opening 10 minutes but it was Rangers who had the first shot on goal although Joe Willis’ effort from 30 yards out went high into the night sky.

Worksop went close to opening the scoring following a corner on 11 minutes. Hamza Bencherif met it with a fine volley but found Stafford keeper Cam Belford equal to it.

The Worksop captain then headed over from another corner before Luke Hall blazed over with the goal at his mercy.

Belford saved Hall at the near post as Worksop continued to press before the breakthrough finally came on 38 minutes. Terry Hawkridge played in Colin Daniel who clipped the ball to the back post for Paul Green to nod in from close range.

A few minutes earlier, Jake Moult had received treatment for a muscle injury and his involvement came to an early end with Sam Bird replacing him.

Rangers’ opportunities were limited but they were wasteful with the ones they had as Ben Woods and Edy Maieco sent free kicks over without testing the home keeper.

Belford was easily the busier of the two keepers and kept Rangers in touch with a good save to keep out a header from Green just before the interval.

Worksop doubled their lead three minutes into the second half. Braithwaite was unable to cut out a crossfield ball from Hall which left Green free to fire home his second.

Belford pushed away a cross-shot from Jay Rollins then denied the same player with a close range block.

Having worked hard to restrict Worksop, Rangers capitulated in the final 15 minutes.

Hall drilled home his side’s third from 25 yards before Bencherif made it four with a volley that squeezed under Belford’s body.

Hall inflicted further misery on Rangers’ night in added time when he was given time and space to make it 5-0.

The nearest Rangers came to a goal was a deflected shot from Niah Payne that Seb Malkowski scrambled away.

Worksop: 1 Seb Malkowski, 2 Regan Hutchinson (16 Deegan Atherton 79m), 3 Colin Daniel, 4 Sam Wedgbury, 5 Hamza Bencherif, 6 Jack Broadhead, 7 Terry Hawkridge, 8 Paul Green, 9 Luke Hall, 15 Vaughan Redford (12 Ben Tomlinson 86m), 11 Jay Rollins (18 Aleks Starcenko 79m). Unused Subs 13 Paul Cooper, 17 George Taft.

Stafford: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Ben Woods, 4 Jake Moult (12 Sam Bird 39m), 5 Ethan Stewart, 6 Simon Njaria, 7 Edy Maieco (15 Ethan Morgan 77m), 8 Joe Willis, 9 Kaiman Anderson, 10 Aaron Braithwaite, 11 Niah Payne (16 James Carvell 79m). Unused Subs: 13 Jack Sandel – only four subs named

Referee: Jamie Rhodes

Cautions: Hutchinson (Worksop)

Att: 618

Report by Chris Elsley