Tividale 0 Stafford Rangers 1

Stafford Rangers got a hard fought 1-0 win to stay top of the league after finally breaking down some dogged resistance from bottom-of-the-table Tividale.

Ben Haseley got the vital breakthrough to settle this Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division South affair away from home.

It came on 77 minutes when he converted a low cross, though his shot was well saved by home goalkeeper Christopher Jay but then went in off the post.

Stafford had the better chances in the first-half at the Beeches last night, Alex Melbourne and Josh Craddock going close and Nathan Rooney seeing a shot parried away.

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But the game was fairly even, with few chances for either side and even in the second-half it took till the 58th minute for the first one, Craddock heading wide from Ryan Edmunds' corner.

Gradually, Tividale forced their way into the game, former Stafford player Chris Sterling seeing a shot well saved by goalkeeper Adam Whitehouse.

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Whitehouse provided a few nervous moments with some erratic handling, but Tividale were not quick enough to capitalise and Haseley steadied the away fans' nerves with what proved to be the winner.

[breakout title="Tividale 0 Stafford Rangers 1" align="right"]

Tividale: Jay; Wright; Chilton; Devlin; Race; Cullinan-Liburd (Ayettey 88); Taylor (Brown 79); Milligan; Danks; Sterling; Rabone (Jackson 67).

Subs not used: O'Neill, Hill.

Stafford: Whitehouse; Melbourne; Wood (Dacres 62); Johnson; Daniel; Craddock; Rooney (Kapend 70) ; Reid; Harvey (McNaught 62); Haseley; Edmunds.

Subs not used: Curtis, Thomas.

Attendance: 267[/breakout]

It was the former Halesowen hot-shot's fourth league goal of the campaign. Tividale had battled hard to try to improve their woeful league record, but Haseley's strike broke their resistance.

There was time to press for a second and Jay was forced into two good saves from substitute Christian Dacres, the second one seeing his shot pushed onto the post.

Stafford are three points clear at the top of the table after six matches – with four wins from four away from home – in their quest to return to the Evo-Stik's top flight.

Meanwhile, Tividale have only three points from their first seven league matches.