Stafford Rangers 3 Gravesend & Northfleet 1
Nationwide Conference
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Attendance: 524
Weather: -
Stafford Rangers bounced back from that defeat against Tamworth with a good 3-1 victory over Gravesend & Northfleet to complete a ‘double’. And David McNiven made it nine goals in nine appearances with a hat-trick in what proved to be his last game before parent club Morecambe recalled him to Christie Park.
Stafford took the lead in the 21st minute. Following a foul on Robin Gibson, Richie Sutton delivered a far post cross where McNiven ran in to head home. The on-loan striker doubled the lead in the 37th minute. ’Fleet keeper Lance Cronin raced off his line only to be passed by Guy Madjo who sent a diagonal ball from the left side of the area towards goal. McNiven, who had sprinted forward, slotted home into an unguarded net.
McNiven completed his hat-trick with another goal in the 57th minute. He chased a long ball over the top and sent a dipping shot over the advancing Cronin. Play-off chasing Gravesend scored a 69th-minute consolation when Alex Varney sent a delicious left-footed effort into the top-left corner.
McNiven became the first player to bag a hat-trick for Stafford since Neil Grayson scored all three goals against Chasetown in the Staffs Senior Cup during the 2004/05 season. Danny Davidson also scored a hat-trick during the Robinson era (against Soke City in the 2002/03 Staffs Senior Cup Final). But McNiven is the first Stafford player to achieve the feat in a league game for five years. The last player to do so was Scott Dundas at Salisbury City in March 2002 when Ian Painter was manager.
Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes/black/black): Robert Duggan, Richie Sutton, Wayne Daniel (capt), Craig McAughtrie, Liam Murray, Robin Gibson, Anthony Griffith, Craig Lovatt, Levi Reid, Guy Madjo, David McNiven. Subs: Neil Grayson (for McNiven, 77), Ged Murphy (for Gibson, 86), Danny Edwards, Alex Gibson, Liam Murray.
Gravesend & Northfleet (sky blue/white/sky blue): Lance Cronin, Mark Ricketts, James Smith, Ross Smith, Sacha Opinel, Danny Slatter, Stacy Long, Robert Quinn (capt), Jonathan Keeling, Luke Moore, Onome Sodje. Subs: Alex Varney (for Moore, ht), Joel Ledgister (for Long, ht), Liam Cleman (for Keeling, 60), Sam Mott, Joe Howe.
Referee: K. G. Evans (Manchester).
Attendance: 524 (inc 32 away fans).
