Stourbridge 0 – 0 Stafford Rangers
Apr 27, 2018

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Thursday 26 April 2018

Rangers’ penultimate game of the season saw them pick up a deserved point in a goalless draw at Stourbridge on Thursday evening.

For an end of season encounter where pride and a minor league place was all that was at stake it was a fairly entertaining encounter. It was the second game in 48 hours after the Staffs Senior Cup Final success on Tuesday and both Josh Craddock and Levi Reid were feeling the effects and could only take a notional place on the subs bench while Jordaan Brown was absent for personal reasons.

Rangers were presented with a golden opportunity inside the first minute as Stuart Pierpoint body checked Kyle Perry but Robert Thompson-Brown’s free kick took a deflection off the Stourbridge wall and went just off target. The first effort from the home side came some five minutes later via route one. Luke Benbow managed to win possession to collect a long free kick from keeper Matt Gould only to drag his shot wide from around 25 yards out.

After a lively start, things quietened down somewhat although the home side did manage to go close on 18 mins when Benbow’s free kick glanced off the head of Nicu Carnat but Adam Whitehouse reacted well to take the ball just under his crossbar. Benbow was then in the thick of the action at the other end with a well timed tackle to halt a threatening run from Tyrell Waite as the Stafford man burst into the Stour area.

Jack Sherratt tried his luck with a couple of long range efforts but neither really troubled Gould although the Stour keeper did have to watch carefully as the second of these went just wide. The nearest either side came to a goal in the first half was just before half time when a Alex Cameron charged down Adam Whitehouse’s clearance but the ball ricocheted over the Stafford crossbar.

Stour came closer still four minutes into the second half when Benbow hit the post after an attack down the left from Carnat. The impressive youngster went close himself a couple of minutes later with a shot just wide of Whitehouse’s right hand post. In reply, Osebi Abadaki launched an attack down the Rangers left which nearly put Massiah McDonald but his path to goal was blocked by Aaron Forde.

The home side pressed again and Dan Vann had to clear off the line from Cameron. Chris Gallagher found himself in a great position but was denied by an excellent save from Whitehouse. Rangers enjoyed a good spell around the hour mark. Sherratt fired over from a tight angle while McDonald and Abadaki were blocked by Pierpoint and McCone respectively. Gould didn’t have too much to do. He did make one excellent save although Perry had already been flagged offside.

Stour responded. Whitehouse kept out a low drive from Benbow then saved well with his feet after Brad Birch had made a solo break.

Chances continued to come at both ends of the pitch. For Rangers, Perry totally miscued a header when he got free of his man following Sherratt’s corner then Leon Broadhurst blazed wide from Forde’s corner for Stour. Both sides continued to look for a late winner with Perry missing the best of the chances as he planted his close range header over the Stour crossbar.

Stourbridge: 1 Matt Gould, 2 Brad Birch, 3 Aaron Hayden, 4 Paul McCone, 5 Stuart Pierpoint, 6 Aaron Forde, 7 Chris Gallagher (17 Edilson Antonio 71m), 8 Leon Broadhurst, 9 Luke Benbow, 10 Alex Cameron (16 Louis Hall 65m), 11 Nicu Carnat (12 Brandon Hague 79m). Unused Subs: 14 Luke Shearer, 15 Josh Cooke.

Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Sam Griffiths, 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Kai Davis, 5 Dan Vann, 6 Jack Sherratt, 7 Osebi Abadaki, 8 Robert Thompson-Brown, 9 Kyle Perry, 10 Tyrell Waite (16 Joe Thomas 74m), 11 Massiah McDonald. Unused Subs: 12 Josh Craddock, 14 Levi Reid, 15 Ben Chilcott, 17 Lucas Burnett.

Cautions: Hayden, Forde (Stourbridge) Thompson-Brown (Rangers)

Referee: Richard Gardner

Att: 368

Chris Elsley

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3:00 pm
NPL Premier Division

Stafford Rangers v Workington AFC

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