Rangers could lose three points

Stafford Rangers are today facing up to the prospect of three points being scrubbed from their Blue Square North tally after the collapse of Ilkeston.

Their league rivals, who Rangers beat 2-0 away from home on August 24, were wound up in the High Court yesterday after a judge yesterday refused to give the club more time to pay off a £50,000 debt to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

The decision, if it stands, means the club will no longer exist and will have its results for this season expunged from the records.

Ilkeston plan to appeal the order, which could hold up the process, but all eyes will be on whether their game against Redditch on Saturday will go ahead.

Rangers have a vested interest in the situation but a game to prepare for themselves on Saturday, with Stalybridge Celtic the visitors to Marston Road.

That was supposed to be the last game for on-loan duo Harry Davis and Kelvin Mellor, but manager Chris Brindley is close to a deal to keep the Crewe youngsters for another month.

It's a boost for Rangers as they return to their home ground after two straight away defeats, 2-0 at Alfreton and Droylsden respectively, which brought to an end a four-match unbeaten run after losing on the opening day.

And Brindley is urging his players not to let two bad away days in the last fortnight ruin their start to the season.

He said: "We haven't had a bad start, but the two away games have turned it into an ordinary start. We didn't do as well as we could possibly to do at Alfreton and Droylsden was the one time this season where we have performed poorly.

"It's been one bad day in seven, but we have got to put that behind us now and improve."