Hednesford claimed the local bragging rights with Matt Dodd scoring the only goal just after the hour mark of a disappointing Staffordshire derby. A crowd of 1,226 turned up on a hot Monday afternoon but there was little on offer to inspire them. The game had started ok and had James Wren not turned Richard Batchelor’s header away for a corner in the 3rd minute, it might have been a different story.

Hednesford got their first look in on 8 mins when Luke Rodgers created an opening but he sent his shot well wide. Louis Briscoe found Izak Reid well placed to put Rangers ahead on 15 mins but he screwed his shot wide of Wren’s right hand post. Hednesford upped the tempo with some short sharp passing but didn’t cause too many problems for Adam Whitehouse. Green sent one effort high over the top from the edge of the area while the best opportunity came from a James Lawrie free kick that flashed across the face of the Rangers goal but didn’t get the touch the Pitmen needed.

Hednesford were first to show in the second half with Whitehouse forced to keep out Green’s shot with his feet five minutes after the resumption. Soon after, Alex Melbourne hit a shot straight at the Rangers keeper. Richard Batchelor went close for Rangers when he got the better of Lawrie, only for Wren to save at head height at his near post but Hednesford still looked the most threatening.

On the hour, Whitehouse needed a second go to keep out a shot from Lawrie but he was left helpless a minute later. Tom Thorley was given acres of space all afternoon and finally made Rangers pay when he picked out Matt Dodd who, with one touch, took the ball past Whitehouse before rolling it into the unguarded net. In the remaining half hour, neither side looked like adding to the score as the two keepers were largely untroubled. The closest Rangers came was in the final minute when Sam Oji had to head off the line from a Jordaan Brown free kick.

Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Kai Davis (12 Exodus Geohaghon 84m), 3 Jordaan Brown, 4 Kieran Morris, 5 Mat Bailey, 6 Levi Reid, 7 Izak Reid, 8 Louis Briscoe (15 Jack Langston 72m), 9 Dan Westwood, 10 Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson (14 Kyle Perry 67m), 11 Richard Batchelor. Unused Subs: 16 Jack Sherratt, 17 Bradley Caswell

Hednesford: 1 James Wren, 2 Lewis Wright, 3 Alex Melbourne, 4 Kris Taylor, 5 Jim Mutton, 6 Sam Oji, 7 Matt Dodd, 8 Tom Thorley, 9 Luke Rodgers (12 Danny Glover 72m), 10 James Lawrie, 11 Devarn Green (14 Ben Bailey 84m). Unused subs: 15 Jordan Nadat, 16 Stephen Palmer, 17 Jose Veiga

(Lawrie and Rodgers were listed as 9 & 10 respectively on the team sheet but wore the opposite shirts)

Cautions: Westwood, L Reid (Rangers), Taylor, Rodgers (Hednesford)

Referee: Mark Howes

Att: 1,226