Thorley's relief as Rangers are safe

Stafford Rangers midfielder Tom Thorley feels that the team can now breathe easy after securing safety in the Blue Square North for next season.

The Marston Road men could even afford to lose 2-0 at Gloucester on Saturday but bottom club Harrogate fluffed their lines at home to Blyth Spartans, going down 5-2 to ensure they cannot catch Rangers in the games remaining.

It was a welcome relief for hometown star Thorley and his team-mates, who have flirted with relegation for most of the season, as the club confirmed their escape from relegation with two games to spare after leaving it to the penultimate game of last season.

A home match with Gainsborough and a visit to Workington on successive weekends now close out the campaign, and Thorley is now looking to express himself.

He said: "Safety is the main thing for us, so now we can play with freedom in the last two games knowing that we will be in the Blue Square North for next season. There is no pressure on us, we can go and enjoy it.

"We have got a tough run-in as well, Gainsborough have been on a good run of late and Workington is a long way to go."

Rangers fell to goals from Marc Richards and Mike Symons on Saturday, and Thorley revealed the players didn't actually know they were safe until the teams had left the pitch.

He said: "We were more disappointed with the result and performance, it wasn't until we came into the dressing room after the game that our assistant boss Darren Read told us that Harrogate had lost.

"We knew we were safe, but we really wanted to do it for ourselves."