Saturday 29th April 2000

Bromsgrove Rovers 4 Stafford Rangers 3
Dr Martens League Western Division
At: Victoria Ground
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £5; Programme: £1-50p
Attendance: 851
Weather: sunny

Brocton 2 Hanford 1

Monday 24th April 2000
Brocton 2 Hanford 1
Springbank Vending Midland League
At: Rowley Park
Kick-off: 6-30 pm
Admission: none; Programme: none
Attendance: 30 (headcount)
Weather: drizzle during second half


This turned out to be a disappointing game with nothing at stake.

Brocton took the lead in the 12th minute. A long clearance by keeper Darren Hill bounced over the Hanford defence. Andrew Harrison latched onto the ball inside the area and fed Ian Flude who slotted home from eight yards out.

The home side held their lead until the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Found wide on the right by a diagonal pass, Colin Fletcher crossed deep to the far post where Tim Birch stabbed the ball home at close range. By this time Hill was hampered by a knee problem.

The game was heading for a draw until Brocton netted an 89th-minute winner. Andrew Harrison beat Jason Coventry with a low right-foot shot into the bottom right corner from 10 yards out.

Brocton (green with green and white sleeves / white / green): 1. Darren Hill, 2. Andy Chandler, 3. Graham Cope, 4. Dave Haggan, 5. Mark Davies, 6. Richard Pemberton, 7. Ben Harrison, 8. Ian Flude, 9. Andrew Harrison, 10. Steve Bergin, 11. Mark Thomson. Subs: 12. Clive Oscar (for Bergin, 76), 14. Mike Oscar (not used), 15. Craig Hilley (not used).

Hanford (black and purple stripes / yelllow / yellow): 1. Jason Coventry, 2. David Field, 3. Shane Kent, 4. Andrew Atherton, 5. Paul Goodstadt, 6. Carl Bailey, 7. Dave Reading, 8. Lee Hartshorn, 9. Tim Birch, 10. Colin Fletcher, 11. Peter Clarke. Subs: 12. Simon Schwarz (for Bailey, ht), 14. Terry Whitehurst (not used), 15. Michael Quinn (not used).

Referee: Andrew Lawrence.

Goals:
1-0 Ian Flude (12)
1-1 Tim Birch (45+3)
2-1 Andrew Harrison (89)

Stafford Rangers 1 Bilston Town 1

Monday 24th April 2000
Stafford Rangers 1 Bilston Town 1
Dr Martens League Western Division
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £5; Programme: £1
Attendance: 1971
Weather: sunny spells


Without serveral key players. Rangers had to come from behind to gain a point against a determined Bilston side out to avenge their heavy Boxing Day defeat on their own Queen Street ground. With two games to go, Stafford cannot be passed by Moor Green or Hinckley United and with a far superior goal difference are virtually assurred of the Championship. Scott Voice put the visitors ahead before Jason Smith equalised in the second half to ease the nerves of the biggest crowd at Marston Road since the Conference years.

Rangers had problems before the start of this Easter Monday afternoon fixture when goalkeeper Richard Williams and skipper Leigh Everritt failed to arrive at the ground (they travel together and were under the impression it was an evening kick off); this was in addition to being without central defender Stuart Ryder (injured) and Nicky Law (caretaker manager at Chesterfield) plus the long term injury to striker Tony Eccleston.

In the 3rd minute Bilston skipper tested his former colleague Price in the Rangers goal with a deep cross that the keeper had to stretch for to tip away. On 18 minutes Williams, the Biston keeper, found himself in trouble when he let a free kick from Read slip through his hands and Osbourne had to concede a hasty corner. Rangers however had not settled down and were stunned three minutes later when Bilston took the lead. Burgher worked the ball down the right to feed a ball to Leeding whose first time centre was met by Voice to plant a glancing header into the net.

Bilston then seemed content to frustrate the home side with tight and aggressive marking and only occasionally did Rangers threaten the Bilston goal. Kiely put an awkwardly bouncing ball high over the bar and later saw his high hanging cross dropped by Williams under pressure from Mitchell but the ball went just wide of the far post. Before the half closed Dundas fired in a fierce 25 yarder that Williams did well to pluck out of the top corner.

A determined Stafford Rangers came out for the second half and within two minutes Jones got a header on target which Williams saved. Five minutes later Kiely picked up a through ball halfway inside Bilston territory and although hotly pursued by Rollason got in a shot from just inside the area that Williams could only block and as the ball span across the face of the Bilston goal Mitchell and Smith narrowly failed to make contact. Soon afterwards Walker found Kiely with a through ball and although the 20 yard volley beat Williams it struck the crossbar and came out.

On the hour Jones took a quick free kick which produced a 25 yard dipping shot by Dundas that Williams did well to tip over. The resulting corner was cleared to Smith just outside the area who struck a low shot through a crowd of players into the net. Rangers went all out for the winner which would have guaranteed the championship with Jones and Kiely shooting inches wide of the target. Kiely had a shot cleared off the line by Leeding eight minutes from time and in the dying moments a Jones header forced Williams to pull off a diving save at the foot of his post.

Stafford Rangers: 1. Gary Price, 2. Delwyn Humphreys, 3. Darren Boughey, 4. Brett Wilcox, 5. Ronald Walker, 6. David Read, 7. Paul Kiely, 8. Jason Smith, 9. Stephen Jones, 10. Richard Mitchell, 11. Scott Dundas. Substitutes: 12 Devon White (For Mitchell, 82), 14. Leigh Everritt (not used), 15 Daren Bloor (not used).

Bilston Town: 1. Richard Williams, 2. Stuart Leeding, 3. Gary Osbourne, 4. Mark Clifton, 5. Lee Rollason, 6. Gavin Stone, 7. Symon Burgher, 8. Leon Jackson, 9. Scott Voice, 10. Danny Williams, 11. Joe Jackson. Substitutes: 12. Henry Wright (not used), 14. Jason Rhodes (not used), 15. David Benton (not used)

Referee: Mr J. R. Hubbard (Leicester)

Goals:
0-1 Scott Voice (22)
1-1 Jason Smith (61)

Cards:
Stafford: none
Bilston: Stuart Leeding (YC, 10), Leon Jackson (YC, 29)

Saturday 22nd April 2000

Blakenall 1 Stafford Rangers 4
Dr Martens League Western Division
At: Red Lion Ground
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £4; Programme: £1-10p (52 pages)
Attendance: 519
Weather: sunny spells


Blakenall (blue and white halves / blue / blue) 1. Neil Olden, 2. Darren Simkin, 3. Stephen Hillman, 4. Lee Knight, 5. Leon Jackson, 6. Ian Cooper, 7. Jon Worsey, 8. Chris Smith, 9. John Muir, 10. Kevin Thompson, 11. Andy Dodd. Subs: 12. Scott Colcombe (for Cooper, 70), 14. Matt Coppin (for Smith, 77) 15. Richard Gardner (for Dodd, 60).

Stafford Rangers (maroon/maroon/maroon): 1. Richard Williams, 2. Leigh Everritt, 3. David Read, 4. Brett Wilcox, 5. Stuart Ryder, 6. Ronnie Walker, 7. Paul Kiely, 8. Jason Smith, 9. Steve Jones, 10. Richard Mitchell, 11. Scott Dundas. Subs: 12. Devon White (for Dundas, 80) 14. Delwyn Humphreys (for Mitchell, 74) 15. Darren Boughey (for Ryder, 26).

Referee: DJ Adcock (Long Eaton).

Goals:
0-1 Richard Mitchell (32)
1-1 John Muir (45)
1-2 Paul Kiely (46)
1-3 Richard Mitchell (61)
1-4 Steve Jones (82)

Saturday 15th April 2000

Hythe & Dibden 3 Locks Heath 0
Hampshire League Premier Division
At: Ewart Recreation Ground
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: none; Programme: none
Attendance: 50 (headcount)
Weather: rain

Saturday 8th April 2000

Hayling United 2 AFC Aldermaston 1
Hampshire League Premier Division
At: Mengham Park
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: none; Programme: none
Attendance: 40 (headcount)
Weather: warm and sunny, breezy

Englefield Green Rovers 9 Taplow United 1

Saturday 1st April 2000
Englefield Green Rovers 9 Taplow United 1
Cherry Red Records Chiltonian League Premier Division
At: Coopers Hill Sports Ground
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: none; Programme: 50p
Attendance: 10 (headcount)
Weather: drizzle


Englefield Green (35 points from 25 games) went into the game in seventh position while struggling Taplow (7 points from 26 games) occupied 17th and last position in the Premier Division table.

Englefield Green Rovers (green and white hoops / white / green): 1. S. Miles, 2. Steve Howard, 3. S. Turner, 4. Gareth Morgan, 5. Gary Taylor, 6. R. Banks, 7. Alan Beere, 8. Paul Coxhill, 9. P. Bunn, 10. Roy Cloake, 11. John Jones. Subs: 14. Kev Saunders (for Coxhill, 67), 16. P. Solari (for Howard, 65).

Taplow United (claret wth sky blue sleeves / claret / claret): 1. D. Noble, 2. Robert Haynes, 3. Ben Chima, 4. Trevor Harries, 5. R. Bentley, 6. D. Rayner, 7. K. Mujram, 8. M. Hayes, 9. P. Collerton, 10. J. Watts, 11. Scott Carson. Subs: 12. R. Hawkins (not used), 14. Dave Bunce (for Chima, 36).

Referee: S. Dipple.

Goals:
1-0 Alan Beere (21)
2-0 John Jones (27)
2-1 M. Hayes (53)
3-1 Paul Coxhill (56)
4-1 John Jones (62
5-1 John Jones (66)
6-1 John Jones (68)
7-1 John Jones (72)
8-1 Gareth Morgan (77)
9-1 P. Bunn (84)