Craig McAughtrie backs Rangers duo

Stafford Rangers defender Craig McAughtrie has tipped Jon Patrick and Andre Francis to nail down the full-back slots in the team next season.

Left-back Patrick and utility man Francis have verbally agreed to stay at Marston Road after talks with boss Chris Brindley, while McAughtrie was the first to sign up this summer after putting pen to paper on a one-year deal last month.

Goalkeeper Lee Evans and centre-half Grant Goodhead - the breakthrough star alongside McAughtrie in the latter months of last season - have also voiced their intentions to stop on, with right-back Ashley Wooliscroft the only member of the defensive unit definitely leaving after joining AFC Telford.

The focus for Patrick and Francis will be to get fully fit in the first instance after being hampered by knee and hamstring injuries respectively during the back of end of the last campaign, with both sorely missed in the run-in.

McAughtrie has backed them to do that and believes both can become fixtures in the Rangers team.

He said: "You need a good spine and it's sounding like the manager is keeping a few of the lads on from last season. You are always going to lose one or two players, Ashley had a good offer and has decided to take it.

"If lads like Jon Patrick and Andre Francis can stay fit and keep their consistency, they are good enough to play week in and week out. When Andre was playing right-back last season, I thought he did really well.

"He gets up pretty good for a small lad and, as long as he has got someone talking to him, sticks to his job well for the team."