Express & Star

Tim Flowers set to recall defender

Stafford Rangers manager Tim Flowers will be able to call upon defender Jermaine Johnson for the first time during his reign at Vauxhall Motors.

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Stafford Rangers manager Tim Flowers will be able to call upon defender Jermaine Johnson for the first time during his reign at Vauxhall Motors.

Johnson has completed a five-game suspension that started the Saturday after Flowers' appointment, rendering him unavailable for his first four games in charge.

The 20-year-old is likely to be eased back in action after a month-and-a-half out but should be part of the squad tonight, provided he can fully recover from a long-running hamstring problem that has plagued him since pre-season.

He faces competition to get back in the team, with Mark Dudley also approaching full fitness after a knee injury, taking a place among the substitutes in Saturday's FA Trophy exit at Blyth Spartans.

Rangers will also be able to call upon midfielder Darren Wrack for Saturday's trip to Harrogate, although Ross Davidson has impressed in his place and is likely to start at Rivacre Park tonight.

Flowers takes his team to Cheshire still looking for his first win as manager, urging his side to go for the kill after one point from his three Blue Square North games in charge.

He said: "Our conversion of chances is woeful, in my opinion, and that is where we are at.

"We need to be more ruthless, to get a bit of a streak in us where we are harder to score against and more clinical in front of goal.

"I have no qualms about the players effort, commitment or energy - it's the quality levels that are the problem.

"This is no short-term fix, it's going to be hard work, so I hope everybody is prepared to roll up their sleeves and dig in.

"But you never know what can happen, football is a funny game that turns around and goes in cycles.

"We have been beaten up as a club for the last couple of seasons but, with some wins and that confidence back, maybe it can change."

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