Recap

Rangers looked to have booked their place in the 4th Qualifying Round after Mitch Clarke had headed them in front but a red card for Kyle Sambor gave Halesowen the tonic they needed and eventually their numerical advantage paid off.

Following the thrilling victory over Hereford in the last round, expectations were high among many Stafford fans but they witnessed a rather cagey opening in which neither side was able to establish itself.

Eventually, Rangers began to probe deeper in to the Halesowen half but the visitors always looked a threat on the break, particularly when Dan Meredith was on the ball.

The Halesowen man was involved when the visitors created the first real opportunity of the game just after the half hour mark.

He took down a crossfield ball on the run and played in Ben Cassidy. He set up James Kellermann who managed a shot which Jason Cowley was unable to redirect towards the goal.

Five minutes before the break, Joe Dunne missed Rangers’ best chance when he ran in unopposed but headed over from Tom Tonks’ free kick.

Half Time: Stafford Rangers 0 Halesowen Town 0

The second half told a similar story with little in the way of goal opportunity.

Lewis Ludford-Ison headed wide for Halesowen when unmarked while Stafford’s Jack Birch was an inch away from converting Scott Bakkor’s ball across the face of the goal.

Finally, in the 72nd minute, the deadlock was broken. Rangers won a free kick on the right hand side of the area which Birch floated in to the danger area where Mitch Clarke powered in his header in front of a packed Shed End.

The temperature was suddenly raised and things boiled over with a clash between the two teams in the Stafford technical area that resulted in Assistant Manager Alfie Marsden being shown a red card.

Four minutes later, Rangers’ sub Kyle Sambor was shown a straight red for a challenge that referee Jonathan Maskrey deemed dangerous.

A player down, it was backs to the wall for Rangers as Halesowen went in search of the equaliser.

An 89th minute free kick almost produced it when the ball found its way to Tyrone Barnett but Stafford keeper Leon Phillips produced a stunning save that brought applause from all around the ground.

When Meredith sent a left footed drive just over the bar deep into added time, it looked like Rangers might have done enough but there was one last opportunity for the visitors.

Rob Evans launched a long throw in which wasn’t cleared and Vanylson Da Costa Silva fired home to earn his side a replay which they hardly deserved.

Full Time: Stafford Rangers 1 Halesowen Town 1

Stafford: 1 Leon Phillips, 2 Beto Gomes, 3 Joe Dunne, 4 Todd Ferrier, 5 Andy Burns (c), 8 Tom Tonks, 9 Scott Bakkor (14 Joe Thompson 85m), 10 Jack Birch (12 Ty Webster 90+2m), 11 Darrhyl Mason (17 Wealth Da Silva 67m), 15 Mitch Clarke, 19 Remi Efunnuga (7 Kyle Sambor 61m). Unused Sub 6 Anis Zaknoune, 13 Russell Saunders, 16 Lewis Dilks

Halesowen: 1 Daniel Platt, 2 Ben Cassidy (19 Samson Hewett 73m), 4 Matthew Preston, 5 Ryan Wynter, 8 Lewis Ludford-Ison (7 Todd Parker 65m), 9 Jason Cowley, 11 Vanylson Da Costa Silva, 13 Kacy Butterfield, 14 Joshua Bailey (18 Robert Evans 88m), 17 James Kellermann (23 Tyrone Barnett 77m), 22 Daniel Meredith.
Unused Subs 6 Ryan Wollacott, 21 Gael Mfuamba, 25 Patrick Wood.

Referee: Jonathan Maskrey

Cautions: Ferrier 79m, Tonks 88m (Stafford); Costa Silva 29m, Preston 38m, Kellermann 71m (Halesowen)

Sent Off: Sambor 81m

Goals: Stafford: Clarke 72m Halesowen: Da Costa Silva 90+7m

Att: 3,130

Report by Chris Elsley