Match Preview - 5/1/08 Stafford v Stevenage

Having faced Burton Albion (twice) and Ebbsfleet United over the Christmas holiday period, Stafford Rangers meet another promotion-chasing side on Saturday (5th January) when Stevenage Borough visit Marston Road.

Stafford, who suffered narrow defeats at home to Ebbsfleet and at Burton on New Year’s Day, will be looking to get off the mark in 2008 against the Hertfordshire side managed by former England boss Peter Taylor.

‘Frustrating’ could be used to describe Rangers games against Burton and Ebbsfleet. Chris Flynn was harshly dismissed on Boxing Day with the scores level and Burton look full advantage to net three unanswered goals. Then there was Ebbsfleet’s last-minute winner and, on New Year’s Day, the last-gasp appeal for a penalty when Stafford were pressing for an equaliser at the Pirelli Stadium. We are overdue a change of luck.

Chris Flynn will be still be missing as he serves the third game of his four-game suspension and Richard Sutton serves a one-match ban for reacing five bookings. But Rangers hope that Djimi Sangare and Kevin Street can play some part against Stevenage and the three new signings - Damian Jarrett, Matt Hazley and Ryan Lynch - go straight into the squad.

Visitors Stevenage go into the game in third position in the Blue Square Premier table with 49 points from 25 games. And they could give a debut to former Stafford defender Fred Murray providing he has sufficiently recovered from a knee injury suffered back in November. Stevenage are unbeaten in their last five games - four wins and a draw - but needed to come from behind to beat Rushden & Diamonds 2-1 on New Year’s Day in a dramatic game at Broadhall Way. Rushden thought they’d scored the winner in the 84th minute only for  Zak Burke and Mark Arber to both find the net for Stevenage in the final few minutes.

Stevenage’s official website (www.stevenageborofc.com) reports that: “John Martin misses out for Borough after suffering a reoccurrence of the hamstring injury that has kept him out in recent weeks, meaning Daryl McMahon should start. Centre-back Ashley Westwood, left-back Fred Murray and attacking midfielder/striker Peter Vincenti could all make their debuts since joining Borough from Chester, Stafford and Millwall respectively. Meanwhile Tes Bramble, Mitchell Cole, Ally John, Olly Allen, Laurie Wilson and Jerome Anderson all continue to recover from injuries, but are not expected to feature this weekend.”

Three men, who have faced Stafford in the past, will not feature as Santos Guia (to Grays), Adam Miller (to Gillingham) and John Nutter (also to Gillingham) have all left the club.

If Saturday’s Stafford line-up does get something out of the game then they will do something that Rangers have never managed before. Stevenage have provided the opposition on five previous occasions and each time they have taken maximum points.

20/8/1994 Stafford Rangers 0 Stevenage Borough 3
25/3/1995 Stevenage Borough 1 Stafford Rangers 0

9/9/2006 Stevenage Borough 6 Stafford Rangers 0
20/2/2007 Stafford Rangers 1 Stevenage Borough 3

10/9/2007 Stevenage Borough 3 Stafford Rangers 0 (report)