Express & Star

Stafford Rangers desperate to bounce back

Stafford Rangers chief Steve Burr is desperate to get past Rushall Olympic in the FA Trophy after one of the worst displays he has ever been involved in.

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Rangers are hoping for a decent run in the competition on the back of being dumped out of the Walsall Senior Cup with a shock 4-0 loss at Lye Town, who play two divisions below Boro, on Tuesday night.

It was the sixth defeat from their last seven outings and Burr said: “The most important thing is that we get back on track.

“Tuesday night was one of the most embarrassing performances I’ve seen from a side of mine.

“We made a few changes but those who came in didn’t stake a claim at all so it was very disappointing – we were way below our standards.

“It’s a big game against Rushall, a fairly local rival, and the Trophy is a competition we’d like to have a run in.

“We’re at home and the supporters have been right behind us all season so we’ve got to start repaying them.”

Burr insists Northern Premier side Rangers’ poor recent performances – also losing 3-1 to Hyde United at Marston Road last weekend – have coincided with the absence of skipper Luke Jones.

They hope to have him back from a hamstring strain for this one, but are set to be without Dan Burns (ankle), Tom Marshall (hamstring) and Kyle Perry (calf).

“Hopefully Luke will be fit. He’s a real leader on the pitch and we’ve missed him,” added Burr. “We’ve got a few more missing but it’s about getting the best out of the lads on the park.

“We know Rushall will prove to be a tough test and we’ve got to get ourselves right.

“When we perform, we’re as good as anybody.”

The Pics go into the game boosted by a 4-1 win over St Ives Town in the Southern Central last weekend.

They have not won on the road since August 18 though, when they beat St Neots Town 1-0.

“We were excellent from start to finish,” said Rushall boss Liam McDonald.

“I feel that as a group we are starting to turn a corner now based on our recent performances.

“The only minor disappointment was that we briefly switched off towards the end and didn’t keep a clean sheet, otherwise we were flawless.

“It was our best performance of the season and it puts us in a good place going into this game.

“It’s going to be a tough one for us. Stafford Rangers are a big club and it’s fair to say that they’ve had a similar start to the season as us.

“We are looking forward to the challenge; there will be a good atmosphere and whilst it’s a tricky draw for us, it’s a chance for us to continue our good work.”

He added: “We go into it as underdogs so that gives us the opportunity to go there with no pressure and try to get into the hat for the next round.”

n Kidderminster Harriers travel to Guiseley in National North hoping to close the five-point gap to leaders Chorley at the top of the table.