Stafford Rangers Reserves 1 Hednesford Town Reserves 1
Central Conference League Cup Group B
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Programme: free teamsheet
Attendance: 57
Weather: -
Stafford Rangers Reserves can still reach the Central Conference League Cup Final despite suffering a 1-1 draw at home to local rivals Hednesford Town.
Both the goals came in the first half with Richard Haynes’14th minute opener being cancelled out in the 36th minute by Ross Dyer.
Along with Stafford and Hednesford, Burton Albion are the other side in the three-team group and they currently top the table with six points out of six. Stafford are second with four points and Hednesford bottom with just one point.
To start, for Rangers to qualify for the final they need Hednesford to beat Burton next Tuesday when the teams meet at Keys Park. If that happens then Stafford can win the group by also beating Burton at Marston Road in April.
Rangers keeper Matt Sargeant was called into early action to superbly push away a miss-directed back pass that was heading for the bottom right corner of the net.
Hednesford manager Phil Starbuck gave himself a run out and sent a low 25-yard free kick around the wall which Sargeant comfortably save.
Play was certainly end-to-end and Pitmen keeper Phil Tomsak held onto a rising drive from Craig Hulme.
Stafford took the lead in the 14th minute. A quickly taken free kick by Christian Dacres put Haynes through and he slotted past Tomsak.
Haynes had a chance to quickly double the lead only to be thwarted by a saving tackle by Jordan Francis.
Sargeant turned round a 25-yard shot from David Whittaker before the Pitmen almost levelled in the 26th minute. Danny Bacon, who used to face the Rangers First team with Hucknall Town, fired against a post and somehow Whittaker sent the rebound over from just a few yards out.
Rangers forced a corner which Ed Booth headed on target from which the visitors quickly broke upfield to level in the 36th minute. Dyer attacked down the inside left channel and slotted the ball past Sargeant.
Just before the break Hulme intercepted a poor pass from Blair and drove over the Hednesford bar.
Rangers could have taken the lead two minutes after the restart. Hulme ran down the right and pulled the ball back to Dacres who fired against the bar. The midfielder actually did well to sprint forward into the area to get on the end of the cross.
Stafford continued to press forward and a rising shot took a deflection. Skipper Jemiah Richards got forward out of defence and sent a well-struck 25-yard drive straight at Tomsak. The Hednesford keeper pulled off a fine save on the hour to turn over an effort from Hulme.
Manager Chris Curtis made use of all three substitutes but Rangers couldn’t find a way through. Tomsak was again forced into action to save a rising effort from Chris Milliard after good work by Francis.
Stafford Rangers: Matt Sargeant, Glenn Davies, Mike Weston, Chrsitan Dacres, Jemiah Richards (capt), Ed Booth, André Francis, Steve Hopkinson, Richard Haynes, Craig Hulme, Chris Milliard. Subs: Stuart Simpson (for Weston, 78), Jermaine Bowen, Andreus Campbell (for Davies, 71), Steve Thompson (for Hulme, 78), Jonathon Wylde.
Hednesford Town: Phil Tomsak, Ross Dyer, Daniel Blair, Phil Starbuck, Jordan Francis, Tom Hardy, Keenan Meakin Richards, Mario Pedro, David Whittaker, Danny Bacon (capt), Lima Edmar. Subs: Reece Styche (for Francis, 67), Tom Sanders (for Dyer, 63), Luke Beckford (for Richards, 74).
Referee: John Hilditch.
Attendance: 57.
