Defeat On The Road For The New Saints In The Final Pre-Season Game

Match Report

Stafford Rangers 2 The New Saints FC 1

Adrian Cieslewicz (32)

Attendance: 197

Match report by Stewart Bloor

In the final pre-season game before we travel to Northern Ireland, this evening the team was in action closer to home, with Stafford Rangers providing the opposition.

Although Anthony Limbrick has gone for a mix of youth and experience in many of the games so far, tonight it was very much the latter, as the fixture against Glentoran FC draws ever closer.

The starting line-up was as follows: Paul Harrison, Morgan Daykin, Chris Marriott (captain), Keston Davies, Ryan Astles, Jon Routledge, Leo Smith, Ryan Brobbel, Declan McManus, Danny Redmond and Adrian Cieslewicz.

The bench was also strong, with Connor Roberts, Dean Ebbe, Louis Robles and Ben Clark joined by Jake Canavan and Lewis Rees.

The opening ten minutes saw the visitors have the best of the possession, although Stafford Rangers looked confident whenever they had the ball and pushed forward.

Davies was impressive at the back for The New Saints in the opening fifteen minutes, with excellent distribution as he looked to feed the forward line.

In the 25th minute a Marriott corner from the left was met by Astles but his header from inside the area was over.

Three minutes later, a ball played in by Daykin was headed past Jonathan Brown in the Rangers’ goal by Cieslewicz from close range.

With 32 on the clock, good work from the home side saw Cuff released. Looking to place the ball to Harrison’s left, the ‘keeper denied the number eleven, to keep TNS’ nose in front.

The goalkeeper was called upon again, shortly after, as this time he denied Tom Tonks from a tight angle on the Stafford right.

At the other end, the ball was cleared off the line, following a corner that was won as a result of a neat turn and sweeping pass from Smith in midfield.

In the dying minutes of the first period, Stafford were denied an equaliser, as The New Saints’ defence did its job.

Although Anthony Limbrick kept the same eleven as we kicked off the second-half, the home side was totally changed, including the kit, as the traditional black and white strip was replaced by all-red.

In the 53rd minute, Rangers were level from the penalty spot. A foul by Redmond on Jake Charles, saw the grandson of the great John Charles smash the ball past Harrison’s left and into the back of the net.

The first changes for the visitors, nine minutes later, saw Canavan, Ebbe and Robles on for Brobbel, Cieslewicz and Smith.

Rangers were ahead in the 68th minute with a well-worked goal, as Joe Kenton played a ball in from the right that was struck home from inside the area by Ben Woods.

Looking for the equaliser, McManus fed Robles, who found himself in a tight angle inside the box as he shot over.

The new signing was replaced by Lewis Rees, as we entered the final fifteen minutes of the game.

Come the final whistle, it was Stafford Rangers who were the happier, with the game ending 2-1.

 

Lead image courtesy of Wendy Hill (Stafford Rangers photographer).