Recap

With Rangers sitting 3rd and Mossley 5th in the table at the start of play, the ingredients were there for an entertaining afternoon but the first half was anything but that.

Play from both sides was scrappy with just the occasional moment of quality on show but these were too infrequent to raise much of a response from the crowd.

It might have been a different picture had Ty Webster made the most of a great chance that came his way inside the opening 5 minutes. The youngster broke clear on the right but couldn’t find a way past Mossley keeper Finley Madigan. Soon after, Webster did well to get in a cross which Jack Birch was unable to convert.

While quality was lacking, there was no shortage of a competitive edge and Rangers were dealt a blow just before the midway point when Todd Ferrier felt the full force of a strong challenge in midfield and had to come off but, with a strong squad at his disposal, Graham Deakin was able to field Remi Efunnuga as his replacement.

Mossley’s best chance of the half came on the half hour when a flick from Ben Kershaw put Charlie Frost in but Andy Burns was alert to the danger and managed to intervene before the Mossley forward could get in a shot.

Just before the interval, Kershaw sent a free kick high over the Stafford bar.

Half Time: Stafford Rangers 0 Mossley 0

Rangers made two changes at the break with Webster and Wealth Da Silva making way for Darrhyl Mason and Luca Navarro, the latter making his first appearance since rejoining the club from Bury.

Mason found himself on the end of the first opportunity of the second half but was unable to keep his header down.

The turning point of the afternoon came just before the hour mark when Bailey Marsden – cautioned earlier for preventing a quick free kick – received a second yellow for a late challenge on Birch.

From then on, Mossley’s best hope appeared to be to leave with a point as Rangers dominated possession.

Madigan blocked a shot from Birch before Navarro curled his shot over in the aftermath.

Beto Gomes attacked on the right but, with the crowd baying for a shot, he tried to take on one too many defenders. The chance was lost but only momentarily as the ball came out to Navarro and Madigan was forced into a fine save to his left to keep the scores level.

Eventually persistence and Stafford’s numerical advantage paid off with 15 minutes to go. The goal came from a familiar source – the Tom Tonks throw. The ball was allowed to bounce and Mitch Clarke got ahead of his man to head home from close range.

It was then the turn of Navarro to make his mark as he fired home from around 25 yards out on 86 minutes.

Any lingering doubts about the result were truly put to bed a minute later when Mason crossed from the right for Bakkor to make it 3-0.

Mason could have made it four in added time but was denied by Madigan.

Another Rangers win but the final scoreline made it look more comfortable than it was.

Full Time: Stafford Rangers 3 Mossley 0

Stafford: 1 Leon Phillips, 2 Beto Gomes (18 Harvey Washington 89m), 3 Joe Dunne, 4 Todd Ferrier (19 Remi Efunnuga 19m), 5 Andy Burns, 6 Tom Tonks, 9 Scott Bakkor, 10 Jack Birch, (16 Joe Thompson 80m), 12 Ty Webster (17 Luca Navarro 46m), 14 Wealth Da Silva (11 Darrhyl Mason 46m), 15 Mitch Clarke

Mossley: 1 Finley Madigan, 2 Callum Jones, 3 Kacper Mialowski (16 Jack Marrow 81m), 4 Sean Kgwakgwa, 5 Mark Lees, 6 Jack Grundy, 7 Kyle Campbell, 8 Bailey Marsden, 9 Charlie Frost (12 Michael Brewster 61m), 10 Ben Kershaw (14 Mason Fawns 81m), 11 Dylan Mantle (15 Callum Stringer 61m)

Referee: Jack Lambert

Cautions: Jones 58m, Grundy 84m (Mossley)

Sent Off: Marsden – 2 cautions 27m & 57m (Mossley)

Goals: Stafford: Clarke 75m, Navarro 86m, Bakkor 87m

Att: 1189

Report by Chris Elsley