Saturday 29th December 2007

Stafford Rangers 0 Ebbsfleet United 1
Blue Square Premier
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 653
Weather: showers, windy



Stafford Rangers suffered more bad luck as visitors Ebbsfleet United took the points with a last gasp injury time winner. John Akinde slotted home from just a few yards out to deny Rangers what would have been a deserved point.

The Stafford side was unchanged as Djimi Sangare hadn't sufficiently recovered from his ankle injury to play any part. Luke Potter played his last game on loan from Barnsley.

There were two changes in personnel in the starting line-up with Seb Arnolin and Nathan Smith coming in to replace the departed Luke Potter and suspended Chris Flynn. With Djimi Sangare not sufficiently recovered from his ankle injury, joint caretaker player-manager Kevin Street moved from midfield to play on the left side of the defence. Dolapo Olaoye came on as a second-half substitute for his first taste of action since the opening day of the season.

Ebbsfleet got the game underway attacking the Social Club end with the aid off a strong and blustery wind. In the second minute, James Smith's backpass eluded Lance Cronin but nothing came from the resulting corner. The visitors also won an early corner after Jemiah Richards cut out a low cross from Chris McPhee. James Smith got his head to the corner which hit a defender and went out. In the 15th minute, Rangers were inches (and a gust of wind) away from taking the lead. David McNiven intercepted a poor pass from mark Ricketts and launched a lob from fully 30 yards out. The ball cleared Cronin and looked to be going into the unguarded net only to be blown the wrong side of the post.


There was a worrying moment for the home side when Akinde caught Danny Alcock with a late challenge as both went for a long clearance down the middle by Cronin. Akinde was booked for the foul. The Stafford keeper was able to continue and quickly pulled off a double save to deny both Akinde and Luke Moore.

Rangers continued to battle into the wind and were again unlucky not to score in the 26th minute. Neil Grayson may well have shot for goal but his misdirected effort fell kindly for Nathan Smith on the right inside the area. Smith got in a low drive which Cronin kept out with his boot.

Around the half-hour mark, Michael Bostwick, from out on the right crossed into the six-yard box and Wayne Daniel cleared the danger at the expense of a corner. Neil Barrett then tried his luck with a shot from well outside the area and the ball took a deflection on its way out for another corner. Richard Sutton got forward and drove over the Ebbsfleet bar from 20 yards out.

The visitors should have taken the lead in the 39th minute. McPhee got clear only to blast a shot high over the bar with just Alcock to beat. Before the interval, Bostwick sent a wind-assisted 25-yard free-kick over the bar and Stacy Long forced a routine save out of Alcock from 15 yards out.

Stafford took the game to the visitors in the second half and should have gone in front two minutes after the restart. Unmarked Grayson met a perfect cross from Nathan Smith only to head straight at Cronin from six yards out. On the hour, Frenchman Samy Mawene threaded a pass through the Ebbsfleet defence to McNiven. The striker hit a low angled shot which beat the diving Cronin and hit the outside of the left-hand post.


Ebbsfleet were always a thread on the break and got back into the game during the last half hour. Bostwick fired straight at Alcock from 15 yards out while McPhee saw another long-range effort deflected for a corner. Dolapo Olaoye came on to end a four-month absence through injury and set up a chance which Seb Hamilton drove wide from 25 yards out.

A draw would have been a fair outcome until Akinde stuck the very late winner.

Teams
Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes/black/black): 1. Danny Alcock; 2. Richard Sutton, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 21. Jemiah Richards, 8. Kevin Street; 15. Nathan Smith, 17. Ross Draper, 22. Samy Mawene, 19. Seb Arnolin; 10. David McNiven, 9. Neil Grayson. Subs: 30. Seb Hamilton (for Smith, 55), 11. Dolapo Olaoye (for Arnolin, 85), 16. Tom Ingram, 24. Steve Hopkinson, 33. Danny Allen (gk)

Ebbsfleet United (yellow/white/yellow): 1. Lance Cronin; 15. Mark Ricketts, 2. Peter Hawkins, 5. James Smith, 3. Sacha Opinel; 25. Michael Bostwick, 14. Neil Barrett, 8. Stacy Long; 12. Chris McPhee (capt); 18. Luke Moore, 19. John Akinde. Subs: 30. Rob French, 9. Raphael Nade, 16. Liam Coleman, 20. Dan Stubbs, 17. George Purcell

Referee: Dean Moharab (Stockport)
Attendance: 653 (inc 106 away fans)

This match report was originally written for and published on the now defunct www.staffordrangers.co.uk

Wednesday 26th December 2007

Stafford Rangers 0 Burton Albion 3
Blue Square Premier
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 1679
Weather: bright, dry, windy



Stafford never recovered from a three-goal blast from Burton in the closing stages of the first half following the dismissal of Chris Flynn. Mark Greaves opened the scoring in the 34th minute and Jake Edwards added two more just before the interval

The Stafford side was unchanged as Djimi Sangare hadn't sufficiently recovered from his ankle injury to play any part. Luke Potter played his last game on loan from Barnsley.

What was turning out to be a finally-balanced local derby turned dramatically in favour of Burton in the 27th minute. Chris Flynn had every right to go for a throughball played low into the area as Kevin Poole bravely raced off his line to dive at the feet of the Boro midfielder. With no intent to hurt the veteran keeper, Flynn caught Poole in the face with his boot and, perhaps, it was inevitable that the referee would provide a straight red card. Poole received treatment for a facial cut and was able to continue.

Burton took the lead in the 34th minute. John McGrath floated a free-kick from the left towards the far post which looked to be curling out. Mark Greaves somehow managed rise above Ross Draper to head across the face of goal from a very narrow angle and in at the far post.


The lead was doubled in the 44th minute again from a set piece. Jake Edwards met McGrath's inswinging corner delivered from the right with a glancing header which dropped in at the left-hand post.

Edwards struck again in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. Again McGrath was the supplier with a near-post free-kick from the left which the striker stabbed home at close range. Play resumed for barely a second before the referee brought proceeding to a halt.


Rangers set out to keep a clean sheet in the second half and try and make inroads into Burton's three-goal lead. They succeeded with the clean sheet but were unlucky not to find the net.

Just after the hour mark, Neil Grayson was unlucky to see a shot cleared off the line and Wayne Daniel fired straight at Poole from 10 yards out.

Teams
Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes/black/black): 1. Danny Alcock; 2. Richard Sutton, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 21. Jemiah Richards, 32. Luke Potter; 8. Kevin Street, 22. Samy Mawene, 17. Ross Draper, 7. Chris Flynn; 10. David McNiven, 9. Neil Grayson. Subs: 30. Seb Hamilton (for Street, 76), 16. Tom Ingram (for Mawene, 80) ,24. Steve Hopkinson (for Draper, 88), 19. Sebastian Arnolin, 33. Danny Allen (gk)

Burton Albion (sky blue with white sleeves/sky blue/white): 1. Kevin Poole; 17. John Brayford, 4. Mark Greaves (capt), 5. Tony James, 3. Aaron Webster; 2, Andy Corbett, 24. Michael Simpson, 6. John McGrath, 18. Dave Farrell; 9. Jake Edwards, 14. Shaun Harrad. Subs: 7. Darren Stride (for Greaves, ht), 8. Marc Goodfellow (for Brayford, ht), 10. Daryl Clare (for Harrad, 65), Keith Gilroy, 30, Saul Deeney (gk)

Referee: G. J. Sutton (Lincoln)
Attendance: 1679 (inc 707 away fans)

This match report was originally written for and published on the now defunct www.staffordrangers.co.uk