Jul 23, 2022
Stafford Rangers made the trip to Coles Lane hoping to turn Thursday night’s defeat at Hednesford into a win.
Rangers made the stronger start and in the 2nd minute of the game Kaiman Anderson was on the end of a Tom Tonks cross but was flagged offside.
Rangers continued to make the early running and in the 10th minute of the game Ryan-Jay Malbon fired over the Sutton cross bar.
Rangers eventually got the break through in the 11 minute when Tonks ran past a couple of the home defenders and drilled his shot into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
Rangers second goal came in the 17th minute of game when a Tonks free kick on the edge of box found the bottom corner of the net despite Jono Brown’s best efforts to save.
In the 26th minute, Sutton should have pulled a goal back but, with just the keeper to beat, the home player put his shot wide of the target.
Rangers made it 3-0 in the 31st minute when Jack Baxter’s pass over the top of the defence put Anderson clear to score.
Soon after, Anderson had a chance to add further to the score. He took the ball around Brown but saw his shot blocked on the line by a defender.
A quiet start to the second half didn’t see much happening until the hour mark when Theo Bailey-Jones went through on goal only to be denied by Brown and his follow up stopped on the line.
Rangers had a further chance to put the score beyond Sutton but Tonks sent a free kick just wide while a penalty appeal was rejected by the referee.
With several personnel changes made on the field by Rangers, Sutton pulled a goal back on the 83rd with a close range tap in.
The home side added a second two minutes later when the forward ran through the Rangers defence and placed his shot into the back of the net.
With the last action, Bailey-Jones had a free kick but fired straight at Brown
Rangers team:
Belford, Burns, Dunne, Baxter, Stewart, Morrsion, Bailey-Jones, Tonks, Anderson, Willis, Malbon
Subs
Dunne for Trialist A at Half time
59: Forrest for Willis
63 Trialist B and Trialist C for Baxter and Anderson
70 Trialist D for Stewart
76: Draper, Wright and Trialist E for Burns, Tonks and Malbon
Att 152
Report by Mark Bennett
Jul 21, 2022
Stafford Rangers were beaten in their latest pre season outing.
It was a short trip across the Chase for Rangers for a game that was delayed by 48 hours due to the record high temperatures on Tuesday.
Matt Hill’s starting line up was another strong one, although not quite the strongest available, with only one triallist on show when the game kicked off.
Rangers started brightly with Tom Tonks shooting wide under pressure from a Hednesford defender while Theo Bailey-Jones was unable to take full advantage after a slip at the back by Carter Lycett.
At the other end, veteran Leroy Lita gave the Stafford defence plenty to think about and only a last ditch tackle from Ethan Stewart prevented the former Premier League striker from opening the scoring.
Jack Baxter’s shot bounced to safety off Hednesford keep Lewis Gwilliams, but it was the home side who found the net on 28 minutes when Lita’s flick sent Cameron Ebbutt clear to score.
Hednesford triallist Nathan Cameron was left unmarked to power home his side’s second from a corner on 35 minutes but Rangers pulled one back three minutes later when Gwilliams allowed a high ball from Joe Willis to find its way into the net.
The first half scoring was not yet over and Lita converted a penalty on the stroke of half time after the referee had disapproved of Ben Forrest’s block.
The early exchanges after the interval saw Hednesford looking the most likely scorers before they replaced all 11 players on the hour mark.
Rangers’ six substitutions were made at various intervals. One of the triallist replacements – playing at the heart of defence – showed his attacking qualities with a well taken header from a Tonks free kick to reduce the arrears on 71 minutes before Joe Morley struck a superb volley to restore the two goal margin once more with 15 minutes remaining.
With three weeks to go before the NPL season kicks off, Hill and assistant Dale Belford will be working hard to eliminate the mistakes that resulted in the concession of four goals but there is no cause to panic just yet!
Hednesford make the return journey next weekend.
Hednesford Town
First Half: Lewis Gwilliams, Josh Webb, Carter Lycett, Martin Riley, Triallist 1, Luke Rowe, Triallist 2, James McQuilkin, Leroy Lita, Numair Rashad (Joe Cuff 24m), Cameron Ebbutt.
60 minutes: Rhys Williams, Lewis Hayden, Harry Manton, Taylor Carter-Byrne, Lewis Ison, Romehl Seraton, Chay Tilt, Todd Parker, Riley O’Sullivan, Andre Landell, Joe Morley
Stafford Rangers: Cameron Belford, Andy Burns (Taylor Draper 82m), Joe Dunne, Jack Baxter, Ethan Stewart (Triallist B 46m), Ben Forrest (Luis Morrison 60m), Theo Bailey-Jones (Joe Kenton 72m), Tom Tonks (Triallist C 72m)), Kaiman Anderson (Triallist D 46m), Joe Willis (Triallist E 60m), Triallist A (Triallist F 46m)
Referee B Scaife
Att 525.
Chris Elsley
Jul 16, 2022
Stafford Rangers stepped up their pre-season training with a trip to NPL Division One South side Coleshill Town.
Having fielded completely different line ups in each half of their previous two friendlies, this outing saw a more familiar and settled Stafford side with only one triallist featuring in the starting XI.
Most of the players already signed up for the new season got at least an hour under their belts, the notable exception being winger Jaiden White who was withdrawn on the half hour mark as a precaution after a hamstring strain.
Missing the day’s action altogether was club captain Alex-Ray Harvey who fractured a bone in his foot at Newcastle Town last week.
On a scorching afternoon, it was a keenly contested game which produced few clear chances on either goal.
Coleshill attacking midfielder Kai Tonge gave Rangers a few things to think about and he nearly put his side ahead on 15 mins from a tight angle.
The ball spun goalwards off Cameron Belford forcing Luis Morrison to make an acrobatic goal- line clearance.
Rangers’ best chance before the first drinks break fell to Tom Tonks but the home keeper got down to make a comfortable save.
Soon after, Tonge had another chance for Coleshill but sliced his shot wide.
With Joe Kenton having earlier replaced White, Rangers made one further change at half time with the triallist A – player who has featured in all three matches to date – being replaced by triallist B – a player who featured for the club last season.
After newcomer Jack Baxter had fired wide for Rangers, it was Coleshill who opened the scoring on 59 minutes through Jamie Ashmore who beat Belford with a well struck drive from around 25 yards following a counter attack by the home side.
As the game moved into the latter stages, the pace and energy levels of the Coleshill players started to diminish with Rangers’ Triallist B frequently getting away on the left.
Finally, the equaliser came with 5 minutes of the 90 remaining.
It came from the boot of Kenton who fired under the body of the home keeper from the edge of the area – the Coleshill custodian should really have made the save.
Triallist B almost hit a late winner for Rangers as his shot bounced back off the post.
Coleshill (starting): Paul Hathaway, Jamie Ashmore, Harry Higginson, Niall Rowe, Kyle Burke, Fraser Doyle, Kai Tonge, Josh Willis, Gio Dainty, Reinaldo Forbes, Alex Tomkinson.
Rangers: Cameron Belford, Andy Burns, Joe Dunne, Jack Baxter (Triallist C 76m), Ethan Stewart (Taylor Draper 79m), Luis Morrison (Ben Forrest 63m), Jaiden White (Joe Kenton 32m), Tom Tonks (Theo Bailey-Jones 63m), Kaiman Anderson (Luis Wright 82m), Joe Willis, Triallist A (Triallist B 46m)
Att c80
Report: Chris Elsley
Jul 12, 2022
Jul 9, 2022
Stafford Rangers were victorious in their second pre-season fixture against Newcastle Town at a sunny Lyme Valley Stadium.
Once again, Rangers fielded two separate sides with all ten outfield players being replaced at half time. Only keeper Cameron Belford remained on the field throughout.
The home side created the first opening with Ryan Baker’s header being pushed away by Belford.
Rangers responded a couple of minutes later with a rising shot from Alex-Ray Harvey that went a couple of inches over the Newcastle cross bar.
Kaiman Anderson should have put Rangers ahead on 21 minutes after being put through by Joe Willis but Newcastle keeper Joe Slinn made a good stop.
Harvey’s afternoon came to an early and painful end midway through the half with a foot injury that could force the Rangers’ captain out of this weekend’s match at Coleshill.
Newcastle were at their most dangerous from set pieces and went close again when Ethan Vale hit the foot of Belford’s left hand post with a free kick before Jack van der Laan put the rebound just wide.
Rangers opened the scoring six minutes before half time when No3 triallist threaded a pass through to Anderson who found some space before turning the ball past Slinn from the angle.
The all-changed Rangers went close to adding to their tally early in the second half with a shot from the No11 triallist curled his shot just wide after linking well with Jack Baxter.
Belford pushed away a Vale free kick while a corner from the Newcastle man flashed across the face of the Stafford goal. As the home side kept searching for a goal, Belford did just enough to keep out Mikey Conlon’s dipping shot.
Rangers’ second goal of the afternoon came on 64 minutes following some good play on the right hand side. Andy Burns played in Jaiden White who, in turn, picked out triallist 11 to score from close range.
Newcastle couldn’t find a way back. Connor Russo came closest to reducing the arrears ten minutes from the end but Belford tipped over.
Newcastle Town: 1 Joe Dlinn, Joe Hurst, Connor Russo, Ethan Vale, James Askey, Luke Dennis, Will Lloyd, Tommy van der Laan, Ryan Baker, Jack van der Laan, Mikey Conlon. Subs including Callum Parker, Ollie Torjussen
Rangers
First Half: Cameron Belford, Trialist, Triallist, Alex-Ray Harvey (Triallist 24m), Ethan Stewart, Louis Morrison, Joe Kenton, Joe Willis, Kaiman Anderson, Trialist, Theo Bailey-Jones
Second Half: Cameron Belford, Andy Burns, Trialist (Triallist 82m), Triallist, Ben Forrest, Joe Dunne, Jaiden White, Tom Tonks, Theo Bailey-Jones, Jayden Hunter-Bailey, Jack Baxter, Trialist
Ref: James Scerri
Report: Chris Elsley
