Tuesday 29th August 2006

Ramsbottom United 2 Salford City 3
Moore & Co North West Counties League Division 1
At: Riverside Park
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Attendance: 191



Monday 28th August 2006

Stafford Rangers 0 Aldershot Town 3
Nationwide Conference
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 1740

Saturday 26th August 2006

Crawley Town 1 Stafford Rangers 2
Nationwide Conference
At: Braodfield Stadium
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 929

Saturday 19th August 2006

Stafford Rangers 1 Southport 0
Nationwide Conference
Attendance: 1081



Stafford Rangers maintained their unbeaten start to the 2006/07 season with a narrow but none-the-less deserved victory over Southport. Neil Grayson rose in the 81st minute to head home the winner from a corner delivered by Kevin Street.

Phil Robinson named an unchanged side for the third game in a row with Craig McAughtrie and Nathan Smith both still out through injury.


On a greasy surface, Stafford were the first side to go close. Robin Gibson and Street combined on the right. The latter found Guy Madjo in the area who turned and saw a near post shot saved by Paul Harrison.

Boro continued their bright start, winning four early corners. Street threaded a pass into the area which Harrison gathered as Madjo looked to get on the end. After combining with Madjo, Grayson fired wide from 25 yards out.

Southport, with Mark Jackson playing as a lone striker, found it difficult to penetrate the well-organised home defence and Stafford, in fact, looked the more likely to open the scoring. Madjo saw another attempt on goal blocked by Michael Powell at the expense of yet another corner.

Stafford, however, survived a scare of their own making on the half hour when Dean Williams was put under pressure by Nathan Talbott’s backpass. The goalkeeper’s clearance was intercepted by Carl Baker but the resulting shot failed to find the unguarded net, admittedly from a narrow angle.

The visitors tried to raise their game and Williams comfortably gathered up a long-range shot from skipper Mark Boyd.

However, another good Rangers move led to a further attempt on goal. Street took the ball into the Southport area and laid it to Grayson. The striker aimed for the opposite top corner but narrowly missed. A well-struck shot from Gibson also flashed wide of the Southport goal.

In injury time, Baker crossed deep and Michael Clancy for forward into a good position at the far post, only to head wide.


Southport looked to press forward at the start of the second half. Boyd had a long-range effort blocked by Wayne Daniel. With the visitors getting more into the game, a dangerous free-kick from Lee Hoolickin was punched out for a corner by under pressure Williams. Stuart Barlow, the former Everton striker, replaced Jackson just after the hour mark in a second change for Southport and first-change player Robert Booth fired over the Stafford bar.

Stafford started to find it harder to get forward but won a corner in the 65th minute. Winning the ball in the air, Daniel has a shot blocked as did Liam Murray in the scramble that ensued inside the Southport area.

Both managers clearly wanted to more than a point out of the game with Robinson giving a debut to substitute Brian Quailey in place of Gibson. Opposite number Paul Cook made his third positive substitution with Joe Fowler replacing Powell.

With the game more open, Williams did well to keep out Baker’s header from another dangerous free-kick delivered by Hoolickin.

Harrison held a shot from Street before Stafford scored what proved to be the winner nine minutes from time. From the second of successive corners, Grayson rose at the near post to head home.

Southport quickly got forward and Williams held a header from Liam Blakeman.

But the visitors’ task of salvaging a point became tougher when Paul Martin was sent off for a professional foul on Guy Madjo in 85th minute.


Stafford Rangers (Black and white stripes/black/black): Dean Williams; Richie Sutton, Wayne Daniel, Liam Murray, Nathan Talbott; Robin Gibson, Ged Murphy, Kevin Street, Lee Downes; Neil Grayson, Guy Madjo. Subs: Brian Quailey (for Gibson, 72), Craig Lovatt, Danny Edwards, David Oldfield, Danny Alcock.

Southport (White/white/white): Paul Harrison; Chris Lane, Paul Martin, Kevin Lee, Lee Hoolickin; Carl Baker, Mark Boyd (capt), Liam Blakeman, Michael Powell, Sean Clancy; Mark Jackson. Subs: Robbie Booth (for Clancy, 53), Start Barlow (for Jackson, 62), Joe Fowler (for Powell, 67), Francis Barry, James Olsen.

Referee: D. H. Coote (Newark).

Sponsors’ Man of the Match: Kevin Street.

Goal:
1-0 Grayson (81)

Tuesday 15th August 2006

Stafford Rangers 1 Altrincham 0
Nationwide Conference
At: Marston Road
Attendance: 1410



Saturday 12th August 2006

Grays Athletic 1 Stafford Rangers 1
Nationwide Conference
Attendance: 1049


Stafford Rangers marked their return to the Nationwide Conference with a hard-earned draw away at Grays Athletic.

Both goals came in the opening eight minutes with Neil Grayson, from the penalty spot, cancelling out an earlier strike from Michael Kightly.

Manager Phil Robinson started with two of his summer signings. Guy Madjo made his debut alongside Grayson and Ged Murphy, who made one appearance for Boro during the 1999/2000 season, played in midfield. On-loan Richie Sutton slotted in to the right-back spot he occupied at the end of last season. Liam Murray deputised for the injured Craig McAughtrie at centre-back.

Rangers survived an early scare from Grays’ first corner. The ball fell to Jay Smith who saw an effort cleared off the line by Kevin Street.

Grays took teh lead in the 6th minute. Good work by Lee Boylan set up Glenn Poole on the left who saw an angled shot saved by the diving Dean Williams. The keeper could only push the ball into the path of Kightly who turned it into the net under pressure from the challenging Nathan Talbott.

However, within a minute of Grays taking the lead, Murphy was brought down inside the area and Grayson confidently converted the resulting penalty.

Once things settled down after the action-packing opening, Stafford proved more than a match for the side that finished third last season and retained the FA Trophy. On 15 minutes, Madjo looked to take advantage of a mix-up on the edge of the home area. He got in a dipping lob that was inches too high.

Rangers went close again on the half-hour mark. Murphy got on the end of a knockdown by Robin Gibson but Ashley Bayes pulled off a point-blank reaction save.

Grays remained a threat and Dean Williams leapt up to his right to turn round a 30-yard drive by Poole that looked destined for the top-left corner of the net.

Both sides created chances to take the lead at the start of the second half. For Boro, Grayson volleyed over a cross from Gibson and Street was too high with a rising shot.

Aaron McLean really should have put his side in front on 56 minutes but he headed over from no more than 10 yards out.

Lee Downes went close for Stafford with a blocked shot after the persistent Madjo took advantage of a mistake on the left.

As full-time approached, Stafford survived a scare on 87 minutes. Williams pulled off another great save to keep out a shot from Kightly and, in the scramble that followed in front of goal, John Martin had a follow-up effort blocked. Conceding a late goal would have been cruel luck on Rangers so thankfully the ball was cleared and so kept out of the net.

In injury time, Madjo latched on to a ball down the middle with a half-chance of nicking the win. But he was thwarted by excellent defending by two Grays players and couldn’t to get in a shot.

Grays Athletic (4-4-2): Ashley Bayes; Andrew Sambrook, Jamie Stuart, Jay Smith, Adam Green; Michael Kightly, John Martin, Ashley Nicholls, Glenn Poole; Lee Boylan (Dennis Oli, 71), Aaron McLean. Unused subs: Tom Williamson, Nathan Moulds, Jamie Slabber, Danny Knowles.

Stafford Rangers: Williams; Sutton, Daniel, Murray, Talbott; R. Gibson, Murphy (Lovatt, 86), Street; Grayson, Madjo. Unused subs: Edwards, Quailey, Olaoye, Alcock.

Referee: S. Cook (Sheffield).

Goals:
1-0 Kightly (6)
1-1 Grayson (8 pen)

Saturday 5th August 2006

Abbey Vale 0 Stranraer Athletic 6
South of Scotland League
Attendance: 30 (headcount)

Wednesday 2nd August 2006

Mid Annandale 1 Crichton 1
South of Scotland League
At: King Edward Park, Lockerbie
Kick-off: -
Admission: -; Programme: -
Attendance: 50 (headcount)
Duration: first half: -; second half: -