Match Report
Stourbridge 2 – 1 Stafford Rangers
Emirates FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round | Saturday 5 October 2019
Report by Chris Elsley
Attendance | Att: 1048

Stafford Rangers were knocked out of the FA Cup at Stourbridge in a feisty encounter that was marred by a serious injury to Stafford defender Dan Burns. Burns clashed heads with his own keeper Lewis King who had come a long way out of his area to try and clear a long ball. King needed treatment himself, but Burns was taken away in an ambulance.
Play resumed after a delay of some 40 minutes with Rangers left to try and salvage the tie after Stourbridge lead 2-1. The Boro were clearly shaken but made valiant effort. Excellent work from Jed Davies almost produced the equaliser but the ball bounced wide off Evan Garnett.
Then, Jake Charles broke into the area but delayed his shot and got no response from penalty appeals. Charles did better in added time when he hooked a shot to the top corner, but Stour keeper Charlie Price clawed the ball away for a corner.
Rangers’ last chance was a free kick from Davies, but he sent the ball high over the top. The game had got off to a bright start for Rangers with Garnett shooting wide inside the first minute. A crude challenge from Jordan Williams on Alex-Ray Harvey earned the home defender a yellow card as Stourbridge looked rattled.
But it was Stourbridge who struck the first blow. A cross from Kristian Green was headed goal wards by Jordaan Brown. King saved but Brown stabbed home from the rebound to put Stourbridge in front in the 10th minute. Six minutes later, it was 2-0. Josh Green failed to cut out Kieran Cook’s long ball and Chay Tilt calmly lifted the ball over the exposed Rangers keeper.
Rangers were shell shocked, and it wasn’t until the latter stages of the half that they threatened the home goal. Garnett had two openings, the second of which forced a save from Price then Rangers were rewarded on the stroke of half time when Charles drove home from the edge of the area - Price letting the ball squirm over the line.
Another couple of chances fell to Garnett early in the second half but Stourbridge went close to restoring their two-goal lead when Tilt’s free kick landed on the roof of the Rangers’ goal. In the 73rd minute, King came racing out of his area but both he and Dan Burns went to head clear. They clashed heads with Burns coming off worse. While Burns received treatment, tempers flared off the field with the Stourbridge manager needlessly getting involved. Defeat was Rangers’ first in seven games but the concern for Burns was the key issue post-match. He lost several teeth and suffered a broken nose.
Referee: Darren Rogers
Cautions: Brown, Williams (Stourbridge)
Stourbridge:
1 Charlie Price, 2 Kristian Green, 3 Jordaan Brown, 4 Tom Tonks, 5 Jordan Williams, 6 Ashley Carter, 7 Dave Bellis, 8 Brad Birch (17 Ryan Winwood 54m), 9 Aaron Lloyd, 10 Chay Tilt (15 Will Grocott 79m), 11 Kieran Cook (12 Alex Nicholls 63m). Unused Subs: 13 James Wren (gk), 14 Andre Landell, 16 Tom Turton, 18 Cody Fisher
Stafford Rangers:
1 Lewis King, 2 Josh Burns, 3 Josh Green, 4 Luke Jones, 5 Daniel Burns (12 Matt Hill 73m), 6 Alex-Ray Harvey, 7 Joe Berks (14 Andy Haworth 54m), 8 Sam Coulson (15 Jack Sherratt 69m), 9 Jake Charles, 10 Evan Garnett, 11 Jed Davies. Unused Subs: 16 Paul Bignot, 17 Ethan Clifford (gk), 18 Max Dixon, 19 Jayden Bailey-Hunter
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