Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Saturday 21 April 2018

Stafford Rangers were unable to give outgoing manager a happy farewell as Shaw Lane kept their play off hopes alive but won few friends for their style of play.

Stafford had Riley Stephenson making his first start in goal in place of the suspended Adam Whitehouse while Jordaan Brown was absent due to a family bereavement.

Stephenson was soon in action when a poor defensive header from Kieren Westwood led to him fouling Kieran Lugsden. Damian Reeves dispatched the penalty to give Shaw Lane the lead in the 6th minute.

Rangers felt that they should have had a free kick a few moments later when Kyle Perry was held back by Jake Skelton on the edge of the box but the referee waved play on. That set the story for the afternoon as Perry got no joy from the Shaw Lane central defender and few decisions went his way.

Shaw Lane had much the better of the opening quarter. Olly Dyson and Alexander Byrne combined to give David Norris an opening but Levi Reid defended well to clear the danger. The visitors came even closer to a second when Kelvin Lugsden’s header flew across the face of the Stafford goal following Olly Dyson’s corner.

A neat exchange between Robert Thompson-Brown, Westwood and Tyrell Waite led to the former getting in Stafford’s first shot on target just before the half hour mark but it was an easy one for Eddie Wilczynski to gather.

Although Rangers were slowly coming more into the game Shaw Lane remained on top as Dyson fired just wide following Reeves’ lay off while, a minute before the break, Rangers had Dan Vann to thank for a goal line clearance which denied Byrne. In between, Stafford skipper Josh Craddock hooked a shot over from the edge of the area.

Rangers were a more attacking side in the second half, posing more questions of the Shaw Lane defence although it was the visitors who created the first opportunity when Godwin Abadaki fired over from around 15 yards.

From Perry’s lay off, Jack Sherratt shot over for Rangers but the Boro got back on level terms in the 64 min when David Norris pulled back Levi Reid and Thompson-Brown scored the penalty to take his tally to 10 for the season.

But Shaw Lane were soon back in front. Perry threw himself in front of the ball to deflect Byrne’s shot for a corner but Byrne was the provider on 69 mins when he picked out the unmarked Reeves who stole in to volley his second.

Stafford felt they should have had another penalty when Osebi Abadaki was impeded after charging down Wilczynski’s attempted clearance while Dan Vann headed straight at then visiting keeper.

When Abadaki went down again in the 88th minute, the referee deemed it a dive and cautioned the Stafford sub for the second time in the game meaning that the Boro had to play out the remaining minutes a man down.

Josh Craddock nearly rescued a point for Rangers with the last action of the game with a downward header that had Wilczynski going full stretch low to his right to keep out.

Rangers: 1 Riley Stephenson, 2 Levi Reid, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Sam Griffiths, 5 Dan Vann, 6 Josh Craddock, 7 Tyrell Waite, 8 Jack Sherratt (12 Osebi Abadaki 69m), 9 Kyle Perry, 10 Robert Thompson-Brown, 11 Massiah McDonald. Unused subs 14 Kai Davis, 15 Joe Thomas, 16 Ben Chilcott – only four subs named.

Shaw Lane: 1 Eddie Wilczynski, 2 Jake Picton, 3 Ben Gordon, 4 Kelvin Lugsden, 5 Jake Skelton, 6 David Norris, 7 Alexander Byrne (16 Matty Davis 90+7m), 8 Kieran Lugsden, 9 Godwin Abadaki, 10 Damian Reeves (12 Paul Clayton 84m), 11 Olly Dyson (14 Gavin Rothery 90+1m). Unused Subs 15 Tyler Williams, 17 Chib Chilaka

Cautions: McDonald, Thompson-Brown (Rangers); Gordon, Kelvin Lugsden, Rothery (Shaw Lane)

Referee: Richard Eley

Att: 560

Chris Elsley