Rangers boss hails his secret weapon
Stafford Rangers manager Greg Clowes today hailed Ryan Dicker as his 'secret weapon' after the defender scored his third goal in as many games.
Dicker netted the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at home to FC United of Manchester on Tuesday night, after a starring role in the FA Cup the previous midweek.
Playing in an emergency striker role, the centre-back got both goals as Rangers saw off Stourport Swifts 2-1 after extra time at Marston Road.
The 25-year-old struck again against United and now goes back on the FA Cup trail with Greg Clowes' men at Gresley on Saturday- his 26th birthday.
Clowes said: "Ryan is only doing what I am expecting him to, he's a big lad with a good touch so he should be scoring goals like that.
"He's shown that so far, we know he can score because he's got a lot of quality, he passes well and his awareness is good.
"His first job is to defend but he gives us an option when we are chasing a game. I know he can cause havoc up front."
Rangers had trailled to Jerome Wright's powerful 16th minute volley against United, but Dicker's strike stretched their unbeaten run to eight games.
In truth, the visitors would have had the points in the bag by the break had it not been for a number of key saves from Adam Alcock in the Rangers goal.
Alcock was on hand to block an early Carlos Roca effort and also pulled off a brilliant double save to deny Mike Norton and Matthew Wolfenden.
Between these two stops, United went ahead when Wright pounced on a long clearance to volley into the roof of the net from 15 yards.
Rangers hit back in the second-half and levelled three minutes after the restart, when Dicker hooked home a Jimmy Turner corner.
The set piece came moments after a shot from Luke Bottomer had been pushed around the post by goalkeeper James Spencer.
Both sides had chances to win, Ryan Brown putting a free-kick over the target for Rangers while Norton dragged a shot wide for the visitors.
Clowes said: "We looked to match them with 4-5-1 and get a foot-hold in the game, but they scored with a quality finish from a really good player.
"We passed the ball around well in the first half without getting any shots away. We told them at half-time that we needed to get more shots in.
"In the second-half, it turned into a really good game which could have gone either way and we knew after the goal we had got into them.
"We scored the equaliser and, for 15 minutes, they were desperate, kicking the ball away and arguing with each other.
"I thought we were well worth a draw and I thought that was our best performance of the season."
