Recap

Manager Graham Deakin made three changes to the starting line up as he continues to utilise his squad. In came Joe Dunne, Tom Tonks and Jack Birch. Anis Zaknoune and Ash Fallon dropped to the bench while Darrhyl Mason didn’t feature in the 16.

Kidsgrove appeared content to let Rangers have the ball and wait for the home side to make the errors. The frustration caused did bring those errors with long balls being unproductive and the Grove defence looking solid.

It needed something special to change things, and that something special came from the right foot of Kyle Sambor on 25 minutes.

Sambor gained possession on the left and came inside. With his options limited, he unleashed a fierce drive from 25 yards. Kidsgrove keeper Keaton Moseley had no chance.

Sambor went close to a second soon after when Moseley spilled his shot for a corner. Following the flag kick, Mitch Clarke saw his header come back off the cross bar.

An excellent save from Moseley denied Scott Bakkor when the Grove keeper tracked back to claw away a goal bound lob but the Stafford striker wasn’t to be denied and headed in Rangers’ second on 39 minutes when he got on the end of a perfectly placed ball from Tonks.

Half Time: Stafford Rangers 2 Kidsgrove Athletic 0

Rangers began the second half in positive fashion but it was Kidsgrove who began to ask the more serious questions.

The visitors brought on player-manager Matt Rhead midway through the half and, within 5 minutes, he had played his part in his side pulling one back.

A long ball from Reece Davies was headed by Rhead into the path of fellow substitute Kyron Collins and he fired his shot past Russ Saunders.

Back in the game, Kidsgrove pressed for an equaliser. Reuben Falding stabbed wide from close range and had a shot blocked by Andy Burns.

At the other end, Moseley failed to hold a Wealth Da Silva free kick but the Stafford man shot wide with the rebound.

The closing minutes saw increased pressure coming from Kidsgrove but, as the visitors pressed, Rangers nearly caught them out with a break of their own as Da Silva put Max Chimenes clear but Moseley again thwarted them.

A final attack from Kidsgrove almost produced an equaliser but Falding couldn’t find the target from a couple of yards out.

Full Time: Stafford Rangers 2 Kidsgrove Athletic 1

Stafford: 1 Russell Saunders, 2 Beto Gomes, 3 Joe Dunne, 4 Todd Ferrier, 5 Andy Burns, 7 Kyle Sambor (14 Wealth Da Silva 69m), 8 Tom Tonks, 9 Scott Bakkor (18 Max Chimenes 83m), 10 Jack Birch (17 Ashley Fallon 72m), 12 Ty Webster (19 Remi Efunnuga 63m), 15 Mitch Clarke.
Unused Sub: Anis Zaknoune

Kidsgrove: 1 Keaton Moseley, 2 Reuben Falding, 3 Will Hardeman, 4 Jack Bromfield, 5 Oliver Jepson, 6 Reece Davies, 7 Clayton Malbon (14 Reiss Martin 46m), 8 Henry Brereton (16 Courtney Duffus 80m), 9 Byron Harrison (18 Matthew Rhead 63m), 10 Jordan Flattley, 11 Nathan Morley (15 Kyron Cooper 46m).
Unused Sub 12 Josh Thorpe

Referee: Ben Stott

Cautions: Chimenes 90+2m (Stafford) Falding 70m, Bromfield 78m, Hardeman 90+6m (Kidsgrove)

Goals: Stafford: Sambor 25m, Bakkor 39m Kidsgrove: Cooper 68m

Att: 742

Report by Chris Elsley