Bully looks to tie up Thorley

Stafford Rangers manager Steve Bull is pressing Stoke City to extend the loan of his teenage match winner Tom Thorley.

The 18-year-old hit a 70th-minute goal to sink Farsley on the opening day of the season. He is due to head back to the Britannia Stadium at the end of this month.

Bull said: "We are trying to keep him a bit longer. We've been in touch with Stoke and I am waiting for them to get back to us.

"I can't see any reason why they wouldn't want to do it. The more football the lad gets the better. Tom took his goal really well on Saturday and he can play in a number of positions."

Bully was delighted to to start his first full season as a manager with a victory and to gain a little bit of reveng' over Farsley, who won with something to spare on his welcome to Marston Road back in March.

He said: "I stated to the lads beforehand that I owed Farsley one for spoiling my first day as a manager.

"We didn't play our best football and Farsley weren't the best team in the world. We weren't much better in the first half, but the one thing you'll get from my team is commitment.

"It was just a good team performance, the whole lot working for each other.

"I'm not shouting about anything, we are just taking each game as it comes. I want to be looking down on other teams next Saturday, not people thinking we are whipping boys like they were last season."

Rangers came through the game with a clean bill of health, despite Jonathan Loukes limping off in the last minute.

Bull is also hoping to have Stuart Pierpoint and Andrew Francis back in the squad for tomorrow's visit to Vauxhall Motors.