Stafford Rangers extend unbeaten to seven
Stafford Rangers made it seven league games without defeat as they secured a hard-fought goalless draw at play-off chasing Norton United.
Rangers had edged the previous two meetings between the sides – one in the league and one in the Walsall Senior Cup – by a solitary goal and this clash at Newcastle Town's ground proved just as close.
The visitors did have the ball in the net midway through the first half when Jazz Luckie headed in a Ryan Edmunds free-kick but the effort was disallowed for offside.
Moments later Niall Green went close at the other end, firing over the top following some good work by former Hednesford and Stafford striker Michael Lennon.
With five minutes of the first period to go, Luckie again went close for Rangers. He beat two defenders after picking up a Christian Dacres pass only to see his shot blocked by keeper Kristian Burynzski.
Lennon sent a shot whistling just past the post for Norton on the hour, moments before Stafford boss Neil Kitching sent on substitutes Dan Cope and Stan Mugisha.
And the strikers were soon causing problems – Cope setting up James Dance only for his shot to be saved while Mugisha was also denied by Burynzski.
Five minutes from time the pair combined but Cope's powerful shot just off-target.
Norton: Burynzski, Bradbury, Clarkson (Sheldon 68), Smith, Taylor, Beaumont, Baker, Blackhurst (Diskin 73), Cropper (Skellern 90), Lennon, Green. Subs not used: McDonald, Hawthorne
Stafford: Whitehouse, Johnson, Wood, Smith, Daniel, Dacres, Edmunds, Reid, Luckie (Mugisha 63), Dance, Curtis (Cope 63). Subs not used: McNaught, Griffiths, Till
