Rangers' challenge to lift the gloom

Stafford Rangers have been challenged to lift the gloom around Marston Road by bringing back league points from Hinckley.

Rangers turned in their worst performance of the season to crash out of the FA Cup at home to Eastwood on Tuesday night, going down 3-1 after a replay.

The result cost the club £4,500 in prize money which is likely to lead to manager Chris Brindley letting a couple of his under-performing players go, to balance the books accordingly.

But in their immediate future is a return to Blue Square North action tomorrow, where a draw in Leicestershire tomorrow would make it a point-a-game return from their first nine games.

Rangers should be able to call upon midfielder Darren Wrack again after a sickness bug, while Crewe loan duo Harry Davis and Kelvin Mellor are available again after missing the cup tie.

Nick Wellecomme could start for the first time in six weeks after making his comeback from an ankle injury in midweek as a substitute, while left-back Jon Patrick could also return after a hamstring strain.

The rest of the players involved in Tuesday's game have already had the riot act to read to them and, with a two-week break from action to follow tomorrow's game, assistant boss Steve Wynn has highlighted the importance of finishing on the right note.

He said: "It's a long time to go without a game if we lose again.

"We let a lot of people down on Tuesday night and we recognise that, we have all been hurting because we really care about the club.

"The home truths have been laid down, loads of them - the dressing room hasn't been a nice place to be. Football clubs are a horrible place when things are going wrong.

"But it's how we respond, that's the name of the game, so we will go away tomorrow and look to get a result."

Rangers go to face a Hinckley side who, despite progressing in the FA Cup, are three places and three points worse off than their visitors.

But Wynn is expecting a close game at the Greene King Stadium tomorrow.

He said: "Hinckley are direct, they do try to turn you around as quickly as possible, so we will have to be on our guard.

"They base a lot of their work on the two centre-halves being solid and the little bit of pace they have up front."