Bully turns back to Gardner

Stafford manager Steve Bull is to turn back to Mark Gardner in a bid to solve the striker crisis at Marston Road.

The unattached 25-year-old, brother of Villa midfielder Craig, had recently left the club with Bully unaware of his next move, but will now play for the reserves on Wednesday with the Rangers boss running the rule.

Stafford frustratingly find themselves back in the market for a striker after a loan move for Darlington striker Jack Bradley fell through, leaving the club still sort of firepower up front.

David McNiven is the only out-and-out striker on the books, with attacking midfielders Jimmy Phillips and Mark Grocott the only possible choices to partner him.

Rangers have mainly deployed a 4-5-1 formation, making the need for a second striker not as foremost as it could be, but Bully knows cover is needed.

He said: "I doubt Jack will be joining us now. We had the deal done and all of a sudden he is making demands for all sorts, such as travelling expenses. In the end, he was asking for a lot more than I was prepared to give him.

"At the end of the day, we were prepared to offer him first-team football so it is us doing him a favour, not the other way round. If he doesn't want to come, we will look elsewhere.

"Mark is an option we are looking at. I shall watch him play for the reserves, then hopefully have a chat with him. If he does well, I have no problem signing him up and putting him on the bench for Saturday.

"He could fill the role that Jack was earmarked for."

Bully is still smarting from a 2-0 defeat at Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday, goals conceded from a shot that barely crossed the line and a mistake from Bobby Wilson that led to the second.

Nonetheless, there were positives to be taken for the Rangers boss, namely the promising debuts of loan signing Marc Grocott and new midfielder Jake Moult.

Bull said: "I was not happy on Saturday. Our goalkeeper had his back to the linesman so how he could tell it was over the line is beyond me. For the second, it was Bobby's mistake and he knows that.

"But both Marc and Jake did very well on their debuts. They look to be promosing additions to the squad."