Saturday 24rd January 2026, Kick-off 15.00
Northern Premier League West Division
Marston Road, Stafford
Admission: £13.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 1,521
A match report from a Stafford perspective can be read by clicking here , also copied and pasted below
Match highlights can be viewed by clicking here
Stafford Rangers 2 - 2 Bury FC
NPL West Division 2025/2026
There were signs that the good times may be returning to Stafford Rangers as they earned a point at home to Bury.
REPORT
In the week when a second major investor was announced by the club, on the field, fans witnessed a battling display against much fancied Bury.
The visitors, recovering from their own problems which saw them expelled from the Football League in 2019, were backed by a large travelling support which contributed to Rangers’ biggest home gate of the season.
Too often in the past, Rangers’ sides have failed to deliver on the big occasion but this time out, they belied their place in the relegation zone to prove a fair match for the promotion chasing Lancastrians.
First Half
As expected, Bury made much of the early running but without posing too much of a threat to the Stafford goal. A well struck drive from Owen Robinson some 30 yards out from goal found its way untroubled in to the arms of Scott Moloney.
Then, the visitors were gifted an opening on 16 minutes when referee James Hall pointed to the spot following what looked a clean tackle on Mo Touray by Ben O’Hanlon.
The Bury man must have had the same feelings as he tamely directed his penalty against the post. Ash Fallon got in the way of Robinson’s follow up before Callum Spooner sent the ball high over the bar. Justice was delivered.
At the other end, Rangers snapped up their first opportunity in style to take the lead in the 27th minute.
A long ball from Jimmy O’Neill was flicked on by John Atherton to Jack Birch who got ahead of James Neild and clipped it over the advancing Mitchell Allen.
Jack Birch opens the scoring
Dan Cockerline – making his first start for 6 weeks – showed Rangers’ fans what they had been missing throughout the afternoon and came close to marking his return with a goal as he stooped low to get to O’Hanlon’s centre but the ball rolled through comfortably to Allen.
Shortly before half time, another Stafford attack produced a corner but ultimately came to nothing with the ball just not falling in their favour.
Second Half
The second half began with Bury again making the early showing. The impressive Bebeto Gomes had a shot deflected wide then Touray went in search of another penalty but he went to ground far too easily under the challenge from Harry Flowers. Both players had already received cautions risked further participation as they squared up but the referee took no action.
Bury managed to level on 54 minutes with a goal from nothing. Leo Graham’s corner found its way to Bailey Sloane whose hook back from the back post looped over Moloney.
Soon after, Graham missed a chance to put Bury ahead when he dragged his shot across the face of goal.
Although Rangers survived this moment, they suffered a blow just past the hour mark when Fallon was forced off with a nose bleed. While Fallon was receiving treatment, Rangers replaced another midfielder Atherton with Dylan Scott.
Scott nearly created a goal when put Anderson through but he was just beaten to the ball by Gomes who raced over from the right back position.
At the other end, Bury pressed for a winner themselves. Moloney kept out a free kick from Kai Evans while Touray curled his chance high over. Graham and Joe Piggott also missed the target.
But, in the 89th minute, Lewis Rawsthorn attacked on the left and drilled in a low centre that Touray guided past the Stafford keeper.
Stafford heads dropped but lifted again when the boards showed a minimum 10 minutes time to be added. It was in the 2nd of those added minutes that Rangers grabbed their equaliser.
James McQuilkin dispossessed Toto Nsiala allowing Birch to put Anderson away and he beat Allen from the angle to the delight of the home camp.
Stafford Rangers: 1 Scott Moloney, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Ben O’Hanlon (17 Callum Wilson 73m), 4 James McQuilkin, 5 Jimmy O’Neill, 6 Harry Flowers, 7 John Atherton (12 Dylan Scott 61m), 8 Ashley Fallon (15 Mason Rees 64m), 9 Dan Cockerline (14 Joe Thomas 77m), 10 Jack Birch, 11 Kaiman Anderson. Unused Sub ,16 Osaze Okuonghae
Bury: 1 Mitchell Allen, 2 Bebeto Gomes, 3 Bailey Sloane, 4 James Neild, 5 Oscar Threlkeld (14 Toto Nsiala 90m), 6 Bobby Carroll, 7 Owen Robinson (12 Kai Evans 60m), 8 Callum Spooner (17 Lewis Rawsthorn 76m), 9 Mo Touray, 10 Joe Piggott, 11 Leo Graham. Unused Subs 15 Rustam Stepans, 16 Regan Riley
Goals: Stafford: Birch (27m), Anderson (90+2m); Bury Sloane (54m), Touray (89m)
Referee: James Hall
Cautions: Flowers 39m, Burns 85m, McQuilkin 86m (Stafford) Touray 35m (Bury)
Att: 1521
Report by Chris Elsley
No comments:
Post a Comment