Walsall Senior Cup 2nd Round
Tuesday 23 October 2018
Stafford Rangers suffered an embarrassing exit from the Walsall Senior Cup as they went down 4-0 at Midland Football League side Lye Town. As anticipated, Rangers’ manager Steve Burr made a number of changes to the starting line up but there was still enough experience in the starting line up to have seen the Boro through.
They started well enough, taking the game to the home side, and it looked just a matter of time before the home defence would be breached. A Josh Green free kick on 2 mins was spilled by keeper Charlie Price but the ball bobbled awkwardly in front of Kyle Perry who was unable to take advantage. Soon after, Joe Cuff cut in from the left but Perry and Jack Sherratt got in each other’s way and Sherratt ended up shooting tamely wide.
Rangers had a bit of misfortune when Harry Benns charged down a clearance from Price. The ball ricocheted towards the empty net only to spin viciously away to safety. After surviving a torrid opening 15 minutes, Lye came into the game and created their first opening when Arron Bishop found himself in a good position, but Morgan Bacon saved with his feet.
It then became a steady flow of pressure from the home side. Joe Lawley put a free kick just over then fired wide from the edge of the area after linking with Jason Wood. Josh McKenzie also went wide after Sam Coulson had failed to clear the lines, but the Lye number 9 was on hand to put his side ahead on 39 mins after receiving a pass from Lawley he shot across Bacon and inside the far post.
Rangers had a chance to draw level a minute before the break, but Morgan James’ shot was well saved by Price who just got his fingertips to it to turn the ball away for a corner.
The second half saw Max Dixon replace Perry for his first senior appearance for Rangers but it was Lye who continued to create the majority of the chances and Lewis Worsey should have done better when he headed wide from a corner shortly after the restart.
Luke Paskin headed another corner over the top but, when Green cut out a deep centre from Lewis Probert on 68 mins, the ball fell into the path of Ben Billingham and he clipped the ball over Bacon from around 25 yards out.
Benns and Cuff forced saves from Price but Lye killed the game off with two more goals in quick succession.
On 81 mins, Jack Till was given space following a free kick and rifled home from 20 yards out then, two minutes later, Lawley took advantage of another defensive error to make it 4-0 and complete a miserable night.
Lye Town: 1 Charlie Price, 2 Joe Colley, 3 Lewis Probert, 4 Jack Pearlman, 5 Luke Paskin, 6 Joe Lawley, 7 Arron Bishop (14 Jack Till 81m) , 8 Jason Wood, 9 Josh McKenzie (12 Adam Meacham 85m), 10 Ben Billingham, 11 Lewis Worsey (15 Luke Carter 80m). Unused Subs 16 Leigh Pardoe, 17 Rion Francis-Mills
Rangers: 1 Morgan Bacon, 2 James Askey, 3 Josh Green, 4 Ethan Stanton, 5 Sam Coulson, 6 Dan Burns (16 Lewis Banks 35m), 7 Morgan James (12 Lucas Burnett 64m), 8 Jack Sherratt, 9 Kyle Perry (14 Max Dixon 46m), 10 Harry Benns, 11 Joe Cuff. Unused Sub 17 Adam Whitehouse (Only Four Subs Named.
Cautions: Lawley, Worsey (Lye Town) Askey, Green, Stanton, Cuff (Rangers)
Ref: Brandon Scaife
Att: 100
Report: Chris Elsley
