Trafford — Stafford Rangers

Mar 21, 2026

Having looked relegation certainties for most of the season, hosts Trafford are putting up a late battle against the drop themselves and enjoyed a midweek win against Lower Breck.

Rangers’ boss Graham Deakin gave a debut to new signing Joe Thompson in midfield with the injured Ash Fallon dropping to the bench.

New signing Joe Thompson

Deakin’s game plan was to frustrate Trafford and the first half proved to also frustrate the spectators as there was little to entertain.

Not until ten minutes before half time was there any drama. When it came, it came from Trafford. Kyle Worsley produced a shot from distance which struck the cross bar. The ball ran wide to James Butterworth but Scott Moloney pulled off an excellent save by his left hand post.

From the resultant corner, Moloney saved from MacKenna Bradshaw before Ollie Southern’s downward header bounced up and over via the cross bar.

On the stroke of half time, Moloney saved again from Butterworth but it was very much a stalemate at the interval.

Half Time: Trafford 0 Stafford Rangers 0

Dylan Scott produced Rangers’ first shot of the game 5 minutes after the restart. A couple of minutes later, the youngster stabbed wide following an attack on the left from Luke Edwards.

That was to be the last action for Scott as he and teammates Max Chimenes and Devarn Green were replaced in a triple substitution.

John Atherton – one of the players introduced by Deakin – was soon involved as he dispossessed Scott Sephton to launch a Stafford attack that culminated in a volley from Marsel Tola which Harvey Bardsley turned away for a corner.

Trafford responded with a couple of substitutions of their own which saw them pose a greater threat and Moloney saved well from Charlie Frost before another effort was cleared off the line.

Moloney saves from Frost

The deadlock was finally broken with 11 minutes remaining when Harry Norris headed in at the back post from Worsley’s corner.

Just four minutes later, Rangers were level as Matt Hearsey headed in from Jack Birch’s corner.

Mett Hearsey levels the scores for 1-1

Then, John Atherton had a golden chance to win it for Rangers as he broke clear of the last man but, with just Harvey Bardsley to beat, he shot badly wide. It was to prove an expensive miss.

As the game entered the 90th minute, Matt Davies was allowed to advance from midfield. His shot was well saved by Moloney who then produced a better block to keep out Bile Ahmed’s follow up but the latter was able to find Frost who gleefully netted the winner.

Full Time: Trafford 2 Stafford Rangers 1

Trafford: 1 Harvey Bardsley, 2 Kyle Worsley, 3 Jack Sloan, 4 Ollie Southern, 5 Harry Norris, 6 Scott Sephton, 7 Izac Khan, 8 MacKenna Bradshaw (15 Bile Ahmed 63m), 9 Charlie Frost, 10 James Butterworth (12 Brad Byrne 90+1m), 11 Harry Evers (16 Matt Davies 63m). Unused Subs 14 Jack Higginbottom, 17 George Unsworth

Stafford Rangers: 1 Scott Moloney, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Luke Edwards, 4 Joe Thompson, 5 James O’Neill, 6 Callum Wilson, 7 Dylan Scott (12 Kaiman Anderson 55m), 8 Marsel Tola, 9 Max Chimenes (14 Matthew Hearsey 55m), 10 Jack Birch, 11 Devarn Green (15 John Atherton 55m). Unused Subs 16 Ashley Fallon, 17 Jack Sherratt

Referee: Matt Friend

Cautions: Khan 57m (Trafford)

Goals:
Trafford: Norris 79m, Frost 90m
Stafford: Hearsey 83m

Att: 514

Report by Chris Elsley

Graham Deakin Interview