Rangers boss expects stars to stay

Stafford Rangers manager Matt Elliott is not expecting a mass exodus of players to be leaving Marston Road despite a 40 per cent cut in their wages.

Elliott held clear-the-air talks with the squads at last night's training session after the club cut his playing budget, ahead of tomorrow's home game against Blyth Spartans.

And, when the dust settled, the manager was left confident that his stars wouldn't abandon the club's Blue Square North relegation fight, with Rangers six points from safety.

He said: "I have had a chat with the squad to clear the air about things and put them exactly in the picture with what is going on.

"They were surprisingly positive about the situation, which is pleasing, because I didn't really now what their reaction would be.

"I wouldn't envisage a large number of the players leaving, if any."

Rangers now face their third home game in a week with Blyth Spartans the visitors to Marston Road, after two heavy defeats to Hyde and Boston United where the team were four goals down by half-time.

Captain Craig McAughtrie and Levi Reid will both miss out, Elliott has confirmed, after picking up hip and ankle injuries in the midweek defeat to Boston.

The Rangers boss also has slight doubts over midfield duo Danny Edwards and Niall Maguire, with both nursing ankle knocks, while right-back Martyn Naylor has a calf strain.

But Alex Forde is available again after a three-game suspension and the club's longest-serving player Andre Francis should finally get the green-light to return, after missing the last five games with a knee injury.

On the touchline, Elliott has the job of picking the players up after two horror losses, but has told his side there is still everything to play for.

He said: "It's not as if we are 20 points adrift, so we have got remain as positive and upbeat as possible to give ourselves a fighting chance of getting out of this relegation spot.

"Irrespective of what is going on behind the scenes, it's not done and dusted."