Aug 9, 2025
Stafford Rangers’ poor start to the season continued on a blustery Saturday afternoon in the sunshine, as Neil Kitching’s side followed up last week’s disappointing FA Cup exit with a 0-2 home defeat to Avro on the opening day of the Northern Premier League West campaign.
After making a flurry of midweek signings in Callum Wilson, Jack Birch and the returning Jack Sherratt, Kitching wrung the changes, bringing all three into the starting line up, alongside the Ben O’Hanlon who was fit to play, with James McQuilkin, Zidan Sutherland & Alex Worley dropping to the bench.
In truth, the scoreline was probably a little bit harsh on a Stafford side who started the game brightly and created a couple of chances in the opening exchanges, firstly with Sherratt finding himself some space in a crowded area to get away a sweetly struck volley that was blocked by the impressive Jack Kenny, and then, in the 10th minute, Sherratt was involved again as his chipped ball towards the heart of the Avro backline saw defender Fortune Maphosa slip. This allowed Kaiman Anderson a run on goal, but, with the ball not settling on the very dry and hard home turf, his connection was weak and didn’t test Cameron Mason in the opposition goal, who gathered comfortably.
In the 17th minute, and with the home side looking comfortable in possession, it was slightly against the run of play when Scott Wara got caught in possession at the back and had his pocket picked by the busy Samuel Davidson who advanced unopposed from 25 yards and clinically clipped the ball past the onrushing Zac Noble.
The goal brought life into the visitors, and just five minutes later Davidson was trying his luck again, this time taking a loose ball on the edge of the Stafford box which he flicked up and volleyed towards goal where Noble was on hand to theatrically parry the ball away from danger.
With the game edging towards half time, Stafford started to create problems for the Avro backline, firstly in the 39th minute with Sherratt hitting a 25 yard stinging left footed drive straight down the throat of Mason, and then Ashley Fallon did superbly to win the ball from Maphosa in the opposition penalty area, but his pull back to the onrushing Jack Birch couldn’t be converted and the home side went in a goal down at the break.
The second half started much in a similar fashion to the first, with Stafford coming out and creating early chances to get back into the game, firstly with John Atherton slipping in debutant Wilson on the right side of the Avro area, and he tested Mason with a thumping right foot effort that was well saved, before Wara climbed highest to head wide from the resultant corner.
Both sides had chances to add to the scoreline, firstly in the 58th minute when Wilson’s looped cross landed on the top of Mason’s net, and then it was Wara again, a constant danger on set pieces but failing to find the target once more. At the other end, Avro substitute Anton Dudik went close with a header over from Owen Warburton’s cross.
Midway through the half, Kitching made a triple change to try and get something out of the game, and a chance presented itself within five minutes when another Wilson set-piece found its way to Wara. The centre back adjusted his body well to send a right-footed shot through a crowd of players, but it clipped the crossbar, much to the agony of the Boro’ faithful in the Shed End behind the goal.
Avro then made a change of their own in the 73rd minute, introducing left winger Tawab Djankpata to the game, and it was he who would make the difference to the final outcome.
Rangers were warned initially when Djankpata was left free at the backpost following great work from fellow substitute Kane Hickman, however he could only stab the ball wide of Noble’s goal.
Then, in the 81st minute, came the knockout blow when Djankpata beautifully dummied the ball on the left hand side to get past Wilson and burst into the penalty area where he was brought down, giving Kyle Hawley the opportunity to open his season account from the penalty spot, confidently sending Noble the wrong way and all three points back home to Lancashire.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Zac Noble, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Ben O’Hanlon (12 Joe Cuff 66m), 4 Jack Sherratt, 5 Scott Wara, 6 Jimmy O’Neill, 7 Callum Wilson, 8 Ashley Fallon (15 Mason Rees 66m), 9 Kaiman Anderson, 10 John Atherton (14 Zidan Sutherland 66m), 11 Jack Birch (17 Alex Worley 85m). Unused Sub 16 James McQuilkin
Avro: 1 Cameron Mason, 2 Owen Warburton, 3 David Fitzpatrick, 4 Jack Kenny, 5 Fortune Maphosa, 6 Jack Morrow, 7 Darren Ehimamiesho, 8 Samuel Davidson (14 Kane Hickman 69m), 9 Kyle Hawley, 10 Dylan Gairns (16 Anton Dudik 56m), 11 Adam Owen (17 Tawab Djankpata 73m). Unused Subs 12 Harry Salt, 15 Joel Igwenwanne
Goals: Davidson 17, Hawley 81 (pen)
Referee: Alex Rolfe
Cautions: Fallon (Stafford) Fitzpatrick, Warburton (Avro)
Att: 545
Report by Craig Cartwright
Aug 2, 2025
Stafford Rangers’ season got off to an unwanted start after they crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of United Counties Premier South outfit Lutterworth Town.
Rangers came into the game on the back of a mixed pre-season which culminated in a 1-7 defeat to Loughborough University on Tuesday evening, whereas Lutterworth already had two league games behind them, and it showed in the latter stages of the game as Simon Alcott scored a dramatic last minute winner to send The Swifts into the next round and a home tie with Chasetown.
The home side changed most of the side that played in the Loughborough friendly, with Kaiman Anderson and Zidan Sutherland being preferred in attack, whilst Michael McGrath played in the holding role in front of a defence. Zac Noble donned the number one jersey, with Callum Smith still out injured.
The opening stages of the game saw Stafford on top, and in the 5th minute Scott Wara headed a James McQuilkin free kick straight at Josh Wormleighton in the visiting goal. Sutherland was next to go close when a long throw from James O’Neill was flicked on by Wara and Sutherland swivelled onto his right before crashing a shot against the bar from ten yards out.
Stafford continued to cause havoc with set-pieces, with Alcott almost turning into his own net from a McQuilkin corner before McGrath glanced a header over the bar from the following corner kick.
Chances would come again for the home side with both Sutherland and Anderson having chances blocked by resolute defending from the visitors. New signing Alex Worley also had a couple of efforts with a fizzing half volley just going wide of the visiting goal.
As the half drew to a close, there was still time for Wara to have another chance, getting on the end of a deep McQuilkin free kick to beat his man at the back post, but sending his header wide of the target.
The second half seemed to follow the pattern of the first with Wara again testing Wormleighton with a header three minutes into the half.
However, the visitors grew into the game and sensed that an opportunity may be there for the taking. A flurry of corners from Dom Brennan on the hour brought Noble’s first real test in the game when he had to stand his ground amidst a big group of bodies to tip the ball over the bar.
Liam Read was next to have an opportunity, but he couldn’t find his feet to get his shot away with O’Neill providing the block, before Alcott had a chance when he headed over following a free kick in the 68th minute.
Both sides traded chances as the home crowd started to grow anxious, and in the 77th minute O’Neill slipped on the ball in his own half to present substitute Jake Brown a free run on goal, however he sent his shot straight at Noble who parried away from danger.
Play switched to the other end and the home side came close when O’Neill sent a cross to the far post and Joe Cuff headed across goal, only for the ball to evade everyone and roll away to safety.
But, with the game edging towards full time and a replay seeming likely, visiting goalkeeper Wormleighton launched a kick downfield to start a counterattack which resulted in Andy Burns putting the ball out for a corner kick.
Stafford had already been warned about Lutterworth’s presence in the six yard box, but as Brennan’s inswinging right footer came into the box, the warnings weren’t heeded and Alcott hooked the ball over a number of Stafford defenders and beyond Noble to send the away players and dugout delirious with what proved to be an 88th minute winner.
There was still time for more drama as home debutant Worley received his marching orders in stoppage time, having got into a fracas with the away dugout. He then saw red when apparently kicking out at a Lutterworth player as he was trying to retrieve the ball, much to the dismay of Neil Kitching and his team who were yards away.
Stafford tried to get back into the game in the dying moments, however the Lutterworth backline held firm and were rewarded moments later when the referee called an end to proceedings and an end to Stafford Rangers short-lived FA Cup journey in the 2025/26 season.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Zac Noble, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Alex Worley, 4 Michael McGrath (15 Mason Rees 69m), 5 Scott Wara, 6 Jimmy O’Neill, 7 John Atherton, 8 Ashley Fallon (16 Joe Morley 89m), 9 Zidan Sutherland, (12 Joe Cuff 69m) 10 James McQuilkin, Kaiman Anderson. Unused Subs 14 Ben O’Hanlon, 17 Max Barlow, 18 Graham Deakin
Lutterworth Town: 1 Josh Wormleighton, 2 Jarred Acton, 3 Courtney Lashley (15 Dylan Parish 90m), 4 Simon Alcott, 5 Oli Bradshaw, 6 Nathan Astill, 7 Jordan Burrows, 8 Dominic Bolton, 9 Liam Read (16 Lucca Watson-Quilter 81m), 10 Dom Brennan, 11 Will Grocock (14 Jake Brown 54m). Unused Subs 12 Elijah Kazimirow, 13 Luke Jeffrey, 17 Jude Coates, 18 William Warren
Referee: Kian Soulsby
Cautions: McQuilkin, Rees (Stafford) Brennan, Bolton, Acton (Lutterworth)
Sent Off: Worley (Stafford)
Att: 517
Report by Craig Cartwright
