Rangers jinx is over

Stafford Rangers' Marston Road nightmare is over at last.

A 3-1 win over Gravesend ended four and a half months of losing at home.

And just 72 hours after being subjected to a barrage of abuse from a section of their fans for a 4-0 thrashing by Tamworth, Rangers were cheered off the pitch last night.

Unfortunately, only 524 fans – the lowest gate in the Nationwide Conference this season – were there to see it.

But those 500 diehards gave manager Phil Robinson's players a heroes' reception.

"I felt from the word go the crowd were really positive in everything we did, encouraging the players from the start right up until the end and that is what we need," said the Rangers boss after the game.

"We have to work together right up to the end of the season, the supporters and the players, to make Marston Road a better place for us to pick up points.

"There were a lot of people there on Saturday supporting us and those people were there again. I think the players deserved that standing ovation at the end.

"We thoroughly deserved the win. There were other home games where we deserved something and didn't get it, but this was just reward for some hard work and good play.

"This was a collective effort, but Guy Madjo worked himself into the ground as a foil for David McNiven and the midfield lads got through a tremendous amount of work against a very direct Gravesend team."

Rangers moved up to 18th place in the table, still three points out of the clutches of the relegation pack as other results favoured them.