Recap
There can be few complaints about the outcome as the better side won on the night.
Rangers were missing combative midfielder Todd Ferrier following the injury picked up in Saturday’s win over Mossley while Kyle Sambor was serving the second of his three match suspension.
Kick off was delayed 10 minutes due to a hole in the penalty area that required attention.
Once the game got underway, it was Rangers who made the brighter start with Wealth Da Silva forcing a first minute save from Charlie Monks with a well struck drive from the right hand side of the area.
Luca Navarro also found himself in a goal scoring position only for his shot to lack sufficient power to test the Stalybridge keeper.
After surviving these two scares, Stalybridge took the lead with their first attack of the game.
Andy Scarisbrick played the ball in to Jack Irlam via Liam Tongue. The Stalybridge man was given too much room and fired his side into a 6th minute lead via the inside of the far post.
Stalybridge threatened to extend their lead as Leon Phillips was forced to race out of his area to clear an underhit back pass from Remi Efunnuga while the Stafford keeper did just enough to deny
Irlam who got clear when Tom Tonks was caught in possession although it still needed Harvey Washington to clear off the line.
Efunnuga should have levelled the scores but fired over when it looked easier to score but Rangers did get their goal on 36 minutes.
Navarro’s corner appeared to be coming to nothing but a series of headers from Tonks. Joe Thompson, Mitch Clarke and Da Silva worked the ball to the feet of Darrhyl Mason who beat Monks for his fifth goal of the season.
Both sides had further chances before the break, Ellis Horan coming closest to scoring with a deflected shot that brought out a smart reaction save from Phillips.
Half Time: Stalybridge Celtic 1 Stafford Rangers 1
Stalybridge restored their lead just three minutes after the restart after Rangers conceded an unnecessary corner.
Tongue saw his shot blocked but the ball fell kindly for Lewis Rawsthorn to score.
The home side scored again on 62 minutes and once again Rawsthorn benefited from being in the right place at the right time.
Phillips saved well from Andy Scarisbrick but was helpless to prevent Rawsthorn making it 3-1.
Aaron Chalmers headed against the bar as Stalybridge threatened to extend their lead further.
Beto Gomes and Harvey Washington both missed chances to reduce the arrears either side of a swirling shot from Horan which nearly deceived Phillips.
Full Time: Stalybridge Celtic 3 Stafford Rangers 1
Stalybridge Celtic: 1 Charlie Monks, 2 Cam Fogerty, 3 Kyle Brownhill, 4 Aaron Chalmers, 5 Jack Kenny, 6 Charlie Doyle, 7 Ellis Horan, 8 Liam Tongue, 9 Lewis Rawsthorn (12 Obua Mugalula 77m), 10 Jack Irlam, 11 Andy Scarisbrick. Unused Subs 14 Rohan Butler, 15 Ruben Jerome, 16 Greg Wilkinson, 17 Fortune Maphosa
Stafford Rangers: 1 Leon Phillips, 3 Joe Dunne (4 Anis Zaknoune 73m), 5 Andy Burns, 6 Tom Tonks, 11 Darrhyl Mason, 14 Wealth Da Silva, 15 Mitch Clarke (2 Beto Gomes 54m), 16 Joe Thompson (10 Jack Birch 58m), 17 Luca Navarro (9 Scott Bakkor 62m), 18 Harvey Washington, 19 Remi Efunnuga (12 Ty Webster 84m).
Referee: Sufyaan Shafi
Cautions: Tongue, Kenny, Brownhill (Stalybridge); Clarke, Tonks (Stafford)
Goals: Stalybridge: Irlam 6m, Rawsthorn (2) 48m, 62m; Stafford: Mason 36m
Att: 525
Report by Chris Elsley
