Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Saturday 17 March 2018

Stafford Rangers extended their unbeaten league run to five games with victory over Coalville Town at a bitterly cold Marston Road.

But this wasn’t as comfortable a victory as the score may suggest as Coalville were well in the contest for an hour. Rangers didn’t always look assured in defence but the visitors didn’t take advantage and paid the price. Both sides struggled in the conditions early on as snow swept down the length of the pitch, creating a white out and making the surface greasy.

There was only one real chance in the opening 10 mins – that fell to Kyle Perry who fired tamely at Coalville keeper Elliot Taylor. But it was Perry who put Rangers ahead on 13 mins, beating Dean Freeman to Dan Vann’s centre to head past Taylor.

Coalville should have been level a minute later when Nathan Watson went round Adam Whitehouse only for Kieran Morris to make an incredible goal line clearance when a goal looked a certainty. Watson put another chance wide after Freeman’s header created the opportunity before Morris went close at the other end with a volley across the face of goal after good work from Osebi Abadaki.

Having missed out twice, Watson got his goal on 20 mins when he ran onto another Freeman’s header to shoot past Whitehouse. Stafford restored their lead just six minutes later through Robert Thompson-Brown’s direct free kick – awarded after Danny Jenno had fouled Perry – though Taylor should have done better with his efforts to keep it out.

Coalville’s Watson flashed another effort over and Dan Creaney headed against Whitehouse’s legs as the visitors sought another equaliser and they looked set to get it on the stroke of half time when Whitehouse’s attempted clearance hit Tom McGlinchey but he was forced wide and Morris was there to make another goal line clearance.

Coalville came close again just before the hour mark when Alex Howes crashed his free kick against the intersection of post and bar and then put another just over four minutes later. But that was to be as good as it got for the visitors as Rangers made it 3-1 on 62 mins when Taylor failed to take Jack Sherratt’s corner and Morris headed in from close range.

Rangers missed a number of chances to add further to the score as Perry headed over, Tyrell Waite’s shot went the same way and Sherratt was kept out by Taylor’s boot. But Rangers were now in command and Perry grabbed his second and Stafford’s fourth, ten minutes from time, from a narrow angle after getting round Taylor.

Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Dan Vann, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Kieran Morris, 5 Jordaan Brown, 6 Josh Craddock, 7 Jack Sherratt, 8 Robert Thompson-Brown, 9 Kyle Perry, 10 Tyrell Waite (15 Izak Reid 79m), 11 Osebi Abadaki. Unused subs: 12 Levi Reid, 14 Joe Thomas, 16 Sam Griffiths, 17 Dan Westwood

Coalville: 1 Elliott Taylor, 2 Cleveland Taylor, 3 Lee Torr, 4 Danny Jenno, 5 Dean Freeman, 6 Jermaine Hollis (12 Jake Woolley 75m), 7 Tom McGlinchey, 8 Alex Howes, 9 Dan Creaney, 10 Nathan Watson (15 Anthony Carney 84m), 11 Alex Dean (14 Brad Munn 65m). Unused subs 13 James Dillon, 17 Kyle Bryant

Cautions: Sherratt (Rangers), Howes (Coalville)

Ref: Ollie Williams

Att: 301

Report: Chris Elsley