Matt Elliott looks to break hoodoos

Stafford Rangers manager Matt Elliott is refusing to accept that his side are not capable of breaking two unwanted ducks at Blyth Spartans.

Elliott's men make the 440-mile round trip north tomorrow for the second time this season, on a ground where they haven't won since returning to the Blue Square North in 2008.

The two have also been paired together at Croft Park in the FA Trophy for two seasons in a row, with the visitors dumped out of the competition on each occasion.

Added to the fact that Rangers haven't won away in the league this season doesn't provide a great deal of optimism but the manager is not interested in omens, preferring to concentrate on what they can control.

It took a late goal to see Rangers off in the last game between the two sides in November and Elliott believes his players can have a good go at their hosts again.

He said: "It's a fair old trek, a lot of teams come away from there empty handed and they have hit a good run of form of late, so they will be stiff opposition.

"We went up there not so long ago and performed reasonably well, we were unlucky to fall to a 1-0 defeat late on, so we know we are capable of getting something from the game and we have got to maintain that belief.

"The players know how difficult it's going to be but I want to see their reaction, I don't want any heads to drop.

"There are factors to be taken into account, like the journey, but it's 90 minutes of football.

"It's quite a partisan crowd up there and sometimes that fires players up a little bit more, if you react positively to that sort of atmosphere it can drive you on."