Recap

Backed by a large travelling contingent among the 800 plus crowd, Rangers were dominant throughout and probably should have scored more than the three goals they did get.

Graham Deakin changed his starting line up for the first time with Harvey Washington, Ty Webster and Wealth Da Silva all having to settle for a place on the bench as Mitch Clarke, Kyle Sambor and Darrhyl Mason made their first starts.

It was Clarke, on his debut, who gave Rangers the lead midway through the first half steering his header past Tom Carter. Last season’s top scorer Jack Birch netted the second early in the second half before Da Silva went outright as the leading scorer in the current campaign by netting the third.

The home side have made a poor start to the season but had a chance to inflict some early damage with a free kick on the edge of the D but John Mills couldn’t find a way through the wall.

Mason and Birch were both off target for Rangers before the Boro forced Carter into his first save as he tipped over a header from Sambor.

Carter also saved well from Joe Dunne – Clarke’s shot from the rebound was deflected wide – while Remi Efunnuga shot wide after Carter had made a half block to keep out Sambor.

The deserved opener came on 22 minutes via Clarke who glanced in a long throw from Tonks.

Rangers remained on the front foot and Sambor came the closest to adding to the first half scoring when he shot inches wide following a lay off from Beto Gomes.

Half Time: Lichfield City 0 Stafford Rangers 1

If Lichfield felt that they were still in the contest, the hopes of recording a first point of the season were soon dashed as Birch took advantage of an error from Carter to make it 2-0 on 52 minutes.

Birch followed up after the home keeper had failed to hold a shot from Bakkor. The ball looped goalwards and though Carter was able to claw it off the line, Birch was on hand to finish off.

Minutes earlier, a shot from Bakkor and a header from Mason had both gone over.

Rangers looked the most likely to add to the scoring as a flick from Mason also cleared the bar while Carter saved from Tonks.

Lichfield’s first real chance came just after the hour and it was of Rangers’ making as Leon Phillips was caught dallying on the ball in his area. Isaac Smart managed to dispossess him but found the angle too tight to convert the chance.

Lichfield’s only other chance was also from a Rangers error. This time it was Efunnuga at fault as he gave away possession to Harry Crook. The Lichfield man released Dylan Thomas but he skied his opportunity high into the night sky.

After a couple of let offs and missed chances of their own, Rangers made sure of the points on 81 mins when Mason won the ball off Patrick Wood and squared for the unmarked Da Silva to record his third of the season.

Full Time: Lichfield City 0 Stafford Rangers 3

Lichfield City: 1 Tom Carter, 3 Kane Lewis (2 Mason Perry 86m), 5 Luke Hennessy, 6 Patrick Wood, 7 Sean Devlin (8 Joey Buckley 65m), 9 Isaac Smart (14 Abdul Bashiru 65m), 11 Harry Crook, 12 Matty Hughes, 15 Kieran Francis, 16 John Mills (10 Jordan Davies 82m), 17 Dylan Thomas. Unused Sub: 4 Joe Colley

Stafford: 1. Leon Phillips, 2 Beto Gomes, 3 Joe Dunne, 4 Remi Efunnuga, 5 Andy Burns, 6 Mitch Clarke, 7 Kyle Sambor (12 Todd Ferrier 80m), 8 Tom Tonks (14 Joe Thompson 83m), 9 Scott Bakkor (16 Wealth Da Silva 75m), 10 Jack Birch (15 Ty Webster 68m), 11 Darrhyl Mason. Unused Sub: 17 Harvey Washington

Referee: Thomas Bartlett

Cautions: Lewis, Hennessy, Hughes & Francis (Lichfield)

Goals: Clarke 22m, Birch 52m, Da Silva 81m (Stafford)

Att: 819

Report by Chris Elsley