Daniels extend unbeaten run with comfortable victory

Shawn Richards put the Daniels ahead on the stroke of half-time after the hosts had dominated the first half, and man-of-the-match Alvin Jarvis sealed the victory with Stamford’s second midway through the second period.

The Daniels should have taken the lead before Richards nodded home from from close range during first-half stoppage time but despite their greater possession they found a Stafford side determined to defend in numbers.

Saul Henderson fired an early shot wide of Will Jones’ upright for Stafford in the first minute but otherwise the play was mostly in the opposite direction during the opening 45.
Daniels dominate possession

Charlie Binns narrowly failed to steer an opportunity on target as the hosts pressed and Nabil Shariff and Richards both saw their efforts blocked in the area as Stamford ran up against a wall of black and white stripes. Binns went close again on the half hour, just failing to keep his effort below the bar from a deep Jack Ashton cross.

The best chance of the half fell to Shariff who collected a long ball from Jones and held off his marker but rifled his shot off the legs of Rangers’ keeper Jonathan Brain.

Finally as the clock moved into injury time Richards broke the deadlock, heading home a cross from Matt Cotton on his debut and rounding off a move set up by Shariff on the half-way line.
Stamford build on solid foundations

Daniels keeper Jones had barely been troubled in the first, acting more as a sweeper behind a solid Stamford back line which featured Lewis Carr and Richard Jones alongside Jarvis and Ashton.

Jermaine Johnson fired a long range effort that drifted wide and Levi Reid drove a fierce strike over the bar for Stafford as the visitors, forced to chase the game, began brightly after the restart.

But as Stafford pushed forward, Stamford enjoyed more freedom going forward. Jones forced Brain to get down quickly to a near-post header at a corner and 17 minutes after the restart Jarvis doubled Stamford’s lead, thumping the ball home unmarked from close range at a corner.

Jones pulled of a double save late on but Stamford deserved the win that maintains their eight point advantage over teams in the drop zone. For Stafford, the loss leaves them in deeper trouble, firmly wedged within the bottom three.

Stamford: Will Jones, Lewis Carr, Jack Ashton, Alvin Jarvis, Richard Jones (c), Emeka Nwadke, Shawn Richards (Ryan Robbins), Ash Robinson, Nabil Shariff, Charlie Binns (Dan Lawlor), Matt Cotton. Subs: Ryan Walker, Jason Field David Staff.

Stafford Rangers: Jonathan Brain, Jermain Johnson (c) (Andrew Griffiths), Oliver Davies, Lewis Chalmers, Jospeh Ballinger, Matthew Burke, Brian Smirkle (Darren Bullock), Ian Craney, Saul Henderson (Daniel Cope), Levi Reid, Alex Curtis. Subs: Darren Chadwick, Matthew Johnson.