Recap

With Mitch Clarke unavailable, there was a return for Harvey Washington but his afternoon was to come to a premature end when was sent off just before the hour.

That incident led to Gloucester going two goals clear and ended Rangers’ best period of the game.

The home side, looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat in midweek, were on the front foot from the off and Leon Phillips was called into action in the 5th minute after Ashley Hemmings had put Evander Grubb through. Phillips made the initial save but it still needed Beto Gomes to tidy up with a goal-line clearance.

It was following a Rangers advance that Gloucester went ahead in the 13th minute.

Hemmings found space on the right and curled in a shot across Phillips and inside the far post.

The game became very much a stalemate with the two opposite defences quelling any serious threat. Too often, Rangers were their own worst enemy by not looking after the ball when in

possession and front men Darryl Mason and Kyle Sambor largely shut out.

Chances were few but Gloucester finished the half the stronger. Kian Hill did well to get in a shot from 25 yards which struck the cross bar while Andy Burns was laid out when getting in the way of a shot from Hemmings.

Half Time: Gloucester City 1 Stafford Rangers 0

Graham Deakin brought on Tom Tonks and Scott Bakkor for the second half but it was Gloucester who created the first chance when Phillips was forced to dive to his right to keep out a snap shot from Hill.

Gradually, Rangers did start to pose a threat and Bakkor managed a shot on goal following a Tonks throw but Sam Kane went low to concede a corner. Soon after, Mason had a chance but his downward header lacked power.

It was poor play from Tonks that set the seal on the game on 56 minutes.

His defensive header put Harry Williams clear. Washington pulled him back just inside the area and was shown the red card before Hemmings converted the spot kick.

From then on, Rangers rarely looked like getting back into the contest.

Ethan Dunbar fired across the face of the Stafford goal and Phillips denied Hemmings a hat trick with a stunning close range save when a goal looked certain.

Dunbar sent another ball across goal that Tom Owen-Evans should have converted before Dunbar removed any remaining doubt when he made it 3-0 from the penalty spot on 82 minutes after Joe Dunne had pushed Keiran Thomas.

To add salt to the wounds, Gloucester added a fourth a minute into added time when Tonks lost possession, Hill released Dunbar on the right and this time Owen-Evans made no mistake with a close range finish.

Full Time: Gloucester City 4 Stafford Rangers 0

Gloucester: 23 Sam Kane, 5 Ben Nugent, 6 Michael O’Regan, 7 Ed Williams (4 Jack Clarke 67m), 9 Ashley Hemmings (8 Jake Evans 76m), 11 Evander Grubb (16 Ethan Dunbar 64m), 12 Keiran Thomas, 17 Harry Emmett (3 Morgan Lewis 76m), 18 Joshua Keyes, 19 Harry Williams (10 Tom Owen-Evans 76m), 20 Kian Hill

Stafford: 1 Leon Phillips, 2 Beto Gomes, 3 Joe Dunne, 4 Todd Ferrier (10 Jack Birch 64m), 5 Andy Burns, 6 Anis Zaknoune (8 Tom Tonks 46m), 7 Kyle Sambor (16 Joe Thompson 77m), 11 Darrhyl Mason (14 Wealth Da Silva 83m), 12 Ty Webster (9 Scott Bakkor 46m), 18 Harvey Washington, 19 Remi Efunnuga

Referee: James Thompson

Cautions: Nugent 78m (Gloucester), Gomes 71m, Dunne 88m, Ferrier 41m, Burns 82m, Tonks 82m, Bakkor 60m (Stafford)

Sent Off: Washington 56m (Stafford)

Goals: Gloucester: Hemmings (2) 13m, 58m pen, Dunbar 82m pen, Owen-Evans 90+1m

Att: 533

Report by Chris Elsley