Stafford Rangers 0 Farsley Celtic 2
Blue Square Premier
At: Marston Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 1853
The build-up had been amazing and the first home game in charge for new manager Steve Bull MBE proved to be a memorable spectacle. The only thing lacking was a victory or even a goal as visitors Farsley forgot to read the script.
The Stafford starting line-up showed four changes including the return of Djoumin Sangare to the defence. Keenan Meakin-Richards and Liam Hughes, on-loan from Wolves, both made their debut while Courtney Shaw was given his first start.
With Stafford electing to attack the Social Club end in the first half, it was visitors Farsley, making their first visit to Marston Road, who got the game underway in dry but windy conditions.
Rangers won a corner in the 4th minute which Matt Hazley swung towards the near post. Neil Grayson rose to head the ball across the face of goal and wide of the far post.
Hazley limped off with what appeared to be a knee injury and was replaced in the 9th minute by Ishmale Reid, making his home debut.
Further corners quickly followed, either side of Reid’s arrival, and Wayne Daniel headed wide at the far post from the second one.
It was the visitors who had the first attempt on target as Damian Reeves headed straight at Danny Alcock.
Sangare was booked for a trip on Scott McNiven in the 19th minute. McNiven fired the resulting free-kick against the wall and Shaw got in the way of Krief’s follow-up.
Farsley got forward again and Daniel cut out Rory Prendergast’s long right-wing cross.
The visitors broke the deadlock in the 26th minute. Andy Watson crossed deep from the right to the far post where Torpey headed home.
McNiven tried his luck with a free-kick from the left which he swung in towards the near post. The ball missed the target but Danny Alcock had it covered.
Meakin-Richards went for goal just after the half-hour mark and fired wide of the left-hand post from well outside the area.
Farsley won a corner, delivered by Prendergast, from which Georges Santos ran in to head over.
As the interval approached, Kevin Street battled inside the Farsley half and created a shooting chance on the edge of the area. The midfielder got in a shot which took a deflection off a defender at the expense of a corner. Reid almost created some space and fired wide of the left-hand post.
Straight from the restart, Grayson got forward and sent a low shot wide. Stafford appealed for a penalty when Grayson went down inside a crowded area from Shaw’s corner.
Prendergast tested Alcock from the edge of the area but the Rangers keeper was well positioned to hold. The same player went for goal direct from a free-kick and the ball hit Street on the edge of the wall on its way out for a corner.
This corner was delivered into the Rangers area and Amjad Iqbal went to ground. The referee gave a penalty and Krief sent Alcock the wrong way from the spot in the 62nd minute.
Before play resumed, Stafford made a second change with Damion Jarrett coming on for Meakin-Richards.
Rangers started to fight their way back into the game. Jarrett curled a free-kick over the wall and just over the visitors bar. Grayson also headed wide from another Jarrett’ free-kick.
Sangare stayed up with the attack and headed wide a near-post cross from Richie Sutton.
Farsley survived the pressure and Reeves could have scored a third in the 87th minute. He stayed onside but good defending by Daniel prevented a shooting chance.
Teams
Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes/black/black): 1. Danny Alcock, 6. Djoumin Sangare, 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 2. Richie Sutton, 37. Matt Hazley, 17. Ross Draper, 39. Keenan Meakin-Richards, 8. Kevin Street, 40. Courtney Shaw, 41. Liam Hughes, 9. Neil Grayson. Subs: 30. Ishmale Reid (for Hazley, 9), 35. Damion Jarrett (for Meakin-Richards, 62), 7. Chris Flynn, 33. Danny Allen (gk), 38. Alex Gibson
Farsley Celtic (blue/blue/blue): 31. Curtis Aspden, 2. Matt Jackson, 4. Amjad Iqbal, 38. Georges Santos, 16. Scott McNiven, 11. Andy Watson, 27. Dominic Krief, 24. Craig Bentham, 39. Rory Prendergast, 9. Damian Reeves, 32. Steve Torpey (Bambrook, 83). Subs: 8. Simeon Bambrook (for Torpey, 83), 7. James Knowles, 14. Roy Stamer, 35. Colin Heath, 37. Chris Backhouse (gk)
Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire)
Attendance: 1853 (inc 62 away fans)
This match report was originally written for and published on the now defunct www.staffordrangers.co.uk
