Jan 1, 2025
Stafford Rangers began the new year with a vital win over fellow strugglers Hanley Town and, at the same time, ended a three match losing run.
Manager Dale Belford introduced Zidan Sutherland to lead the attack and the Hednesford loanee obliged by scoring the opener just before the half hour. Sutherland’s Hednesford team mate, Ras Alamu, scored the crucial second with a little over 20 minutes remaining but Hanley proceeded to set up a nervy finish when Michael McGrath diverted the ball into his own net in the closing stages. Thankfully, Rangers held out to lift themselves up to 19th in the table.
After taking some time to establish themselves, Rangers generally held the upper hand but struggled to make it count.
Although Alamu should have done better with an early header that came his way, the first real chance fell to the visitors when an error in the Stafford defence saw the ball fall to the feet of Lewis Holdham. Cam Belford came quickly off his line to back the block.
James Askey – one of six former Stafford players in the Hanley starting XI made an important clearance from under the cross bar after John Atherton had sent the ball into the dangers area with Kaiman Anderson just missing out.
Hanley created a similar opportunity at the other end following Sean Cooke’s low centre.
Hanley keeper Adam Whitehouse – a veteran of over 200 appearances for Stafford – prevented his old club from going ahead with a smart one handed save to deny Alamu then, a minute later, had to go to his right to keep out a well struck drive from James McQuilkin.
But Whitehouse was left helpless when Sutherland stroked Rangers ahead on 27 minutes. The move started with a long ball from Belford and Atherton pulled the ball back for the debutant to score.
McQuilkin and Sutherland were both some way off target with opportunities to add to the score while Whitehouse made another save to keep out Anderson on the stroke of half time.
Rangers continued to have the upper hand after the break but their finishing was lacking quality with Whitehouse not tested.
When Sutherland did get a header on target, he found Reece Jones doing the defensive duties on the goal line.
Whitehouse was called into action midway through the second half when he made a block at the near post with Sutherland looking to add to his tally.
A rare attack from the visitors resulted in Belford saving from AJay Leitch-Smith before Alamu made it 2-0 to Stafford on 69 minutes when he fired home after Whitehouse pushed Anderson’s shot in to his path.
A couple of half chances came and went for Hanley but the fragility of a two goal lead was exposed when Hanley reduced the arrears on 87 minutes.
Sean Lawton beat Reinaldo Forbes to the ball to get Remi Thompson away on the left and his cross struck McGrath and deflected past Belford.
But, Rangers held their nerve to pick up three welcome points in their fight against relegation.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Callum King-Harmes, 3 Sam Fitzgerald, 4 James McQuilkin, 5 Andy Burns, 6 Michael McGrath, 7 Abdulrasaq Alamu-Tajudeen (12 Jimmy O’Neill 75m), 8 Jack Burgess (15 Ashley Fallon 80m), 9 Zidan Sutherland (14 Ben O’Hanlon 86m), 10 Kaiman Anderson, 11 John Atherton (17 Reinaldo Forbes 81m). Unused Subs 16 Joe Morley
Hanley Town: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 James Askey, 3 Sean Lawton, 4 Corey Muirhead, 5 Joel Stair, 6 Henry Briscoe (17 Remi Thompson 40m), 7 Reece Jones, 8 Lucas Sant (15 Josh Bowden 46m), 9 Lewis Holdham (14 Will Igoe 65m), 10 Sean Cooke, 11 AJay Leitch-Smith (16 Tom Wakefield 72m). Unused Sub 18 Henry Brereton
Referee: William Murray
Cautions: Belford, Fallon, Fitzgerald (Stafford), Whitehouse, Askey Cooke (Hanley)
Attendance: 639
Report by Chris Elsley
Dec 21, 2024
Stafford Rangers conceded two late goals as Stalybridge Celtic took the spoils in the NPL’s ‘Old Firm’ fixture. To compound Rangers’ misery, they had Scott Wara sent off for the second successive game.
The first half was a disappointing and scrappy affair and it laid the foundations for the whole game. Stalybridge looked the most dangerous going forward but were unable to breakdown the Stafford defence while the home side were guilty of handing back possession no sooner than they had taken it.
It was Rangers who came closest to a first half goal when Scott Wara headed against the bar following a Jack Burgess corner.
At the other end, Cam Belford saved well with his feet from Lewis Rawsthorn who had run on to a lay off from Joe Duckworth. Later, Belford saved from Elliot Rokka at his near post.
In between these two opportunities for the home side, Belford’s opposite number, Charlie Monks, had to come off his line quickly to block John Atherton after the Stafford wide man had outpaced Kyle Brownhill.
Rangers’ finished the half as the stronger of the two sides but Monks easily gathered after Ras Alamu scuffed his shot. Atherton did get the ball in the net just before the break but was flagged offside in a close call.
Rangers then struck just 18 seconds after the restart. The ball was played out to Alamu on the left and his cross picked out Jimmy O’Neill who hooked his shot beyond the reach of the visiting keeper.
Celtic were soon pressing for the equaliser and Belford had to dive to his right to hold on to a shot from Duckworth before pushing away a swerving shot from Rokka.
Stalybridge got back on level terms on 61 minutes when Belford punched Jordan Burton’s corner into his own net.
With their tails up, Stalybridge pressed again and Michael McGrath was on hand to make a crucial block when Rokka looked certain to score.
Stafford were at sixes and sevens when Duckworth was allowed to play a long ball from Monks into Burton but, with just Belford to beat, the Celtic no 4 fired wide.
Stalybridge sub Brandon Newell rode challenges from James McQuilkin and Wara as he advanced. Although the move came to an end, Wara picked up a yellow card for his attempt to stop Newell.
Four minutes later, Wara brought down Duckworth to see red for the second time in four days and the central defender now faces a three match ban.
With the numerical advantage, Stalybridge were always favourites to go on and win it but it took until the 3rd minute of added time before they made the extra man count.
Liam Tongue played the ball back in following Burton’s free kick and, with Stafford appealing for offside, the unmarked Jack Irlam volleyed over Belford.
Sam Fitzgerald then conceded possession straight from the kick off as his attempt to launch a long ball was charged down and Rawsthorn fired in Stalybridge’s third.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Callum King-Harmes, 3 Sam Fitzgerald, 4 James McQuilkin, 5 Michael McGrath, 6 Scott Wara, 7 Abdulrasaq Alamu-Tajudeen (16 Andy Burns 68m), 8 Jack Burgess (15 Ashley Fallon 56m), 9 Jimmy O’Neill, 10 Kaiman Anderson, 11 John Atherton. Unused Subs 12 Callum Coyle, 13 Oliver Sayer, 14 Joe Morley
Stalybridge Celtic: 1 Charlie Monks, 2 Jordan Butterworth, 3 Kyle Brownhill, 4 Jordan Burton, 5 Greg Wilkinson (17 Brandon Newell 25m), 6 Jack Tinning, 7 Elliot Rokka (12 Navid Nasseri 87m), 8 Liam Tongue, 9 Lewis Rawsthorn, 10 Joe Duckworth, 11 Jack Irlam. Unused Subs 14 Michael Omokua, 15 Sean Duffy, 16 Sean Tse
Referee: Alex Rolfe
Cautions: McQuilkin, Fitzgerald, McGrath (Stafford), Butterworth, Rawsthorn, Irlam (Stalybridge)
Sent Off: Wara (Stafford) – two cautions
Attendance: 546
Report by Chris Elsley
Dec 17, 2024
Stafford Rangers failed to continue their recent run of good form as they were beaten at home by fellow strugglers Wythenshawe Town.
Rangers played the better football in the first half but found themselves 2-0 down at the break thanks to a brace from Domaine Rouse who converted the only two chances his side made in the opening 45 minutes.
But, Rangers failed to capitalize on having the strong wind in their favour after the break and saw their chances deteriorate when Scott Wara was dismissed midway through the half. It would have been a more miserable night for the home side had Rouse not missed a second half penalty.
There was just one change to the side that defeated Mossley with Sam Fitzgerald replacing the injured Ben O’Hanlon which meant defender Jimmy O’Neill again led the attack.
Although John Atherton had an early shot saved by Greg Hall, it was the visitors who struck first. Chinedu Uche skipped past Fitzgerald and pulled the ball back to Rodney Ajayi who in turn enabled Rouse to have a simple tap in giving Wythenshawe a 5th minute lead.
O’Neill came close to an equaliser when he shot wide after a good turn in the box and it looked certain that the goal would come soon after when Ras Alami got in a low centre that neither O’Neill nor John Atherton was able to convert then Kaiman Anderson put wide in the scramble.
Wara and Alex Panter got involved in an off the ball incident that resulted in both players getting cautioned – Wara appeared to be more of the victim but it was to be a costly action.
Wythenshawe’s Panter was in the action again a couple of minutes later as he played his part in Rouses second goal on 28 minutes. An exchange of passes between the two eventually resulted in Rouse scoring from close range.
Despite the two goal deficit, Rangers were still very much in the contest but they seemed to have left their shooting boots at home as efforts from Anderson and O’Neill were off target. A better strike from the latter appeared to strike the raised arms of Christy Grogan but referee Jordan Brooks showed no interest in Stafford’s penalty appeals.
Hopes that the wind would see Stafford fight back in the second half failed to come to fruition. Instead, Wythenshawe should have but the outcome beyond doubt when Michael McGrath hauled Uche to the ground in the 55th minute.
Rouse stepped up to take the spot kick but saw the ball strike the foot of the post and bounce away to safety.
O’Neill and Wara both headed wide but the battle between Wara and Panter that had been ongoing all game came to an abrupt end in the 68th minute when the Stafford man received a second yellow and was sent off.
Rangers never recovered from this latest set back and Wythenshawe saw out the game without too much trouble. In fact, they could have extended their lead when Panter fired across the face of goal.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Callum King-Harmes, 3 Sam Fitzgerald (16 Oliver Jepson 82m), 4 James McQuilkin, 5 Michael McGrath, 6 Scott Wara, 7 Abdulrasaq Alamu-Tajudeen (14 Joe Morley 66m), 8 Jack Burgess (15 Ashley Fallon 85m), 9 Jimmy O’Neill, 10 Kaiman Anderson, 11 John Atherton. Unused Subs 12 Callum Coyle, 13 Oliver Sayer
Wythenshawe Town: 1 Greg Hall, 2 Fenton Green (16 Luke Merrill 85m), 3 Matt Liptrott, 4 Niall Fallon, 5 Sam Sheridan, 6 Christy Grogan, 7 Chinedu Uche (15 Edvards Servuts 86m), 8 Rodney Ajayi, 9 Alex Panter (14 Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro 90+4m), 10 Domaine Rouse, 11 Ryan Morton (17 Luke Nock 69m). Unused Subs 12 Jibran Ahmed
Referee: Jordan Brooks
Cautions: Panter, Rouse (Wythenshawe)
Sent Off: Wara (Stafford) – two cautions
Attendance: 414
Report by Chris Elsley
Dec 14, 2024
Jimmy O’Neill was the unlikely hero as the makeshift forward scored twice in Stafford Rangers’ win over Mossley with a performance that demonstrated their continued improvement since Dale Belford took charge.
Keeper Cam Belford was a surprise inclusion in the Stafford side after injury against City of Liverpool appeared to have ruled him out for some time. Loan signing Abdulrasaq Alamu-Tajudeen made his debut on the left wing.
The visitors – sitting in the top 5 at the start of play – made a positive start and saw Sean Kgwakgwa send in a 20 yard drive that swerved in the air before bouncing off Belford and out for a corner.
Soon after, Luke Barlow headed over while Nicholas Hepple sent the ball across the face of the Stafford goal.
A challenge from Hepple resulted in an early end to Ben O’Hanlon’s afternoon as the defender fell heavily and appeared to pick up a shoulder injury. Midfielder Sam Fitzgerald came on for his debut and slotted in well at the left back position.
By this time, Rangers had established a foothold on the game and they bounced back from this set back to take a 24th minute lead. Kaiman Anderson did well to flick the ball into the danger area after John Atherton’s centre had been partially blocked and O’Neill, who had earlier missed the target with a couple of opportunities, made it third time lucky with a header placed beyond the reach of Finley Madigan.
Mossley had a great chance for an instant reply when Guilherme Baltazar picked out Hepple with a crossfield ball. Belford was initially out of position but recovered well to make the save. Within 60 seconds, the Stafford keeper also held on to a shot from Obua Mugalula.
Rangers finished the half on top as Atherton – at full stretch – volleyed over and Madigan turned over a rising shot from Anderson.
After a quiet first half, Alamu-Tajudeen got more involved in the second and forced a save from Madigan. Then, on 55 minutes, he showed his skills to get to the by-line and send in a deep cross for O’Neill to double the lead with a close range header.
Alamu-Tajudeen came close to getting his own name on the scoresheet when he headed wide and almost certainly would have done had Atherton chosen to pass rather than going it alone with a shot that Madigan saved.
The Mossley keeper then clung on to a header from Joe Morley but it was the Stafford sub who played his part in the third goal of the afternoon on 71 minutes when he drilled in a low centre across the face of goal and Atherton capped a fine performance when he slid in to ensure Rangers would take all three points.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Cam Belford, 2 Callum King-Harmes, 3 Ben O’Hanlon (16 Sam Fitzgerald 22m), 4 James McQuilkin, 5 Michael McGrath, 6 Scott Wara, 7 Abdulrasaq Alamu-Tajudeen (15 Joe Morley 69m), 8 Jack Burgess, 9 Jimmy O’Neill (14 Oliver Jepson 90+1m), 10 Kaiman Anderson, 11 John Atherton (12 Callum Coyle 80m). Unused Subs 13 Oliver Sayer
Mossley: 1 Finley Madigan, 2 Jack Marrow, 3 Kacper Mialkowski, 4 Mark Lees, 5 Mateusz Kardacz, 6 Luke Barlow, 7 Guilherme Baltazar (14 Michael Brewster, 8 Bailey Marsden, 9 Nicholas Hepple, 10 Sean Kgwakgwa (16 Joe Berks 59m), 11 Obua Mugalula. Unused Subs 12 Adam Sherratt, 13 Rhys Holmes, 15 Sonny Reeves
Referee: Brandon Scaife
Cautions: Atherton, Burgess, Belford (Stafford) Marrow, Brewster
Attendance: 488
Report by Chris Elsley
Nov 30, 2024
Joe Cuff hit a second half hat trick as Stafford Rangers turned on the style against bottom of the table City of Liverpool to boost their own fight against relegation.
Few could have foreseen what was about to happen as Rangers went in at the break a goal down and goalkeeper Cam Belford out of the game with an injury.
But Rangers’ manager Dale Belford is not one to accept defeat and his side came out on full throttle and reaped the rewards.
Rangers were dealt a pre match blow when Andy Burns was ruled out due to an infection while Ashley Fallon was also on the injury list. Callum King-Harmes stepped in at right back and Callum Coyle partnered Kaiman Anderson in attack. Another change saw the return of Scott Wara after returning from international duty with Fiji.
Without creating too much of a threat – a low drive from Cuff was the best they could produce -, Rangers dominated the opening 15 minutes before Liverpool began to find their feet and the visitors could have taken the lead had Andy Owens managed to connect with the ball after being played in by Callum Schorah.
A couple of minutes later, Belford made a superb reflex save to turn away a close range header from Jadel Mushanu.
But Belford’s game came to a sudden end on 34 mins when he went down with a calf injury. Fortunately, reserve keeper Jack Sandel was one of the five substitutes and he came on for his third NPL appearance.
The young keeper was left helpless a couple of minutes before half time when City took the lead. A good cross field ball from Aaron Fleming found Xenon Bahula on the right. He out foxed Ben O’Hanlon to create space and fired the visitors ahead.
Rangers came close to a leveller on the stroke of half time when Jack Burgess’ free kick struck the post via the head of City captain Simon Wills.
Anderson was denied by Nicolas Michalski early in the second half before the England U18 keeper turned over a shot from John Atherton.
But, Rangers got themselves back on level terms on 57 minutes when Cuff pounced at the back post after Anderson had done well to beat two defenders on the right.
Bahula missed a chance to restore the lead for Liverpool but the final half hour more or less belonged to Rangers.
Defender Jimmy O’Neill came on to add some muscle to the attack and it was his long throw that resulted in Rangers going ahead on 66 minutes. The ball wasn’t cleared and Wara forced it home in a scramble after Michalski had saved from Anderson and had also kept out Wara’s initial follow up.
Liverpool briefly flirted with hopes of an equaliser and Sandel had to go low to his right to push away a shot from Eion Hogan.
But Cuff eased the Stafford nerves when he put Rangers 3-1 up on 80 minutes after being picked out with a first time ball over the defence from O’Neill.
It was 4-1 and game over three minutes later when Wara dived to head in a shot from Cuff after Jack Burgess’ free kick.
Cuff completed his hat trick – the first by a Stafford player since Jake Charles’ v Hednesford in December 2018 – on 86 minutes when he was allowed to steal in to convert Atherton’s centre.
James McQuilkin wrapped up the scoring and Rangers’ biggest league win for nine years with a minute of normal time remaining. Another Burgess free kick wasn’t cleared and McQuilkin’s drive from just inside the area squirmed under the body of Michalski.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Cameron Belford (13 Jack Sandel 38m), 2 Callum King-Harmes, 3 Ben O’Hanlon, 4 James McQuilkin, 5 Michael McGrath, 6 Scott Wara, 7 John Atherton (16 Reinaldo Forbes 90+5m), 8 Jack Burgess, 9 Kaiman Anderson, 10 Callum Coyle (15 James O’Neill 58m), 11 Joe Cuff (12 Joe Morley 90+2m). Unused Subs 17 Oliver Jepson
City of Liverpool: 1 Nicolas Michalski, 2 Ethan Jones (12 Finlay Heath 87m), 3 Aaron Fleming, 4 Jadel Musanhu, 5 Adam Rooney, 6 Simon Wills, 7 Xenon Bahula, 8 Eion Hogan (15 Evan Smith 87m), 9 Andy Owens (14 Malakai Fry 79m), 10 Callum Schorah (17 Alex Northover 79m), 11 Michael Howard. Unused Subs 16 Ishmael Sonko
Referee: Peter Dingle
Cautions: McQuilkin, McGrath (Stafford) Fleming, Mushanu, Wills, Hogan (City of Liverpool)
Attendance: 599
Report by Chris Elsley
