Striking poser ahead of Rangers trip

Stafford Rangers are wrestling with a striking poser of their Blue Square North visit to Ilkeston.

First-choice pairing Ben Mills and Nick Wellecomme missed Saturday's 2-2 draw against Guiseley, Mills with a pulled thigh muscle and Wellecomme with an ankle injury.

Both are responding well to treatment but have not trained, as Rangers debate to whether to risk the duo tonight with games against Worcester and Alfreton to come over the Bank Holiday.

Add to that their replacements on Saturday, Chris Sterling and Tyree Clarke, both scored as Chris Brindley's men picked up a point and it was Sterling's second in two games.

Clarke, a former Birmingham and Norwich academy player, was brought in from AFC Telford at the last minute to fill the second striking berth, although Rangers also had a contingency plan that involved playing winger Tom Moss in attack.

But the stand-ins have given management something to think about, with assistant boss Steve Wynn hinting that Clarke could be kept on at Marston Road.

He said: "Tyree is one that has come out of the blue and it has given us a different dilemma. I am a big believer in pace and he's a livewire.

"We are looking at him in the short-term at the moment, but we will look at it as time goes on.

"Both him and Chris have given us options."

Rangers face an Ilkeston outfit who have been besieged by financial problems over the summer and are still under a transfer embargo.

The Robins are managed by former Chelsea and Walsall striker Kevin Wilson with his side, like Rangers, picking up four points from their first three games.

Wynn is certainly not expecting an easy ride and has urged the players to show the same sort of application that has impressed him since coming to the club this summer.

He said: "Ilkeston are a big set, very organised and it's a hard place to go at any time.

"But we need to look at the game in a positive manner, because we have been setting a standard so far that we need to maintain throughout the season.

"The lads deserve a lot of credit, I can honestly say that I have never worked with such an honest group of players.

"We are looking to improve on last season, that's the goal we have set for ourselves."