Isuzu FA Trophy First Qualifying Round Saturday 6 September 2025
For this challenging away game in the FA Trophy the Mikes were indebted to Walsall FC for the late registration of young goalkeeper Harrison Barber after Chesterfield had recalled Ashton Rinaldo and regular custodian Jonathan Brown was still unfit to return. The home side included three ex-Boldmere players in their squad Callum Smith, Alex Worley and Mason Rees. Aside from Barber there were changes to the Boldmere line up with Kye Bilton, George Cleet and Kory Burke restored to the starting line up to the exclusion of Ben George, Lewis Allison and Kaireice Cunningham.
To add further spice to the tie, Rangers manager Neil Kitching was both a player and manager of the Mikes while Nick Amos and Ian Cooper were also with the club before their move to Stafford last season.
Kitching made four changes to the side beaten at Lower Breck last week. Callum Smith’s first start was enforced due to the suspension of Arron Davies. Jimmy O’Neill came in for Scott Wara who was carrying a slight injury. John Atherton replaced Ash Fallon but the big surprise to home fans was the inclusion of James McQuilkin who had not seen action since the FA Cup defeat against Lutterworth at the start of August.
The visitors began well and created a couple of chances in the opening exchanges – Smith had to block a close range shot from Freddie Cockerell – but it was Rangers who took the lead on twelve minutes when O’Neill’s header from a right-wing corner took a fortuitous deflection off the unwitting Jack Birch, leaving keeper Harrison Barber helpless.
Having got themselves in front, Rangers controlled play and put together some good moves on a pitch showing considerable improvement now it has received a good watering. All that was lacking were more goals.
Neither Atherton nor McQuilkin was able to convert Alex Worley’s testing centre and the ball trickled wide off Pierre Phillips.
Jack Sherratt had a shot blocked and Dan Cockerline threw himself to meet another cross from Worley but was unable to keep his effort down.
Boldmere had the ball in the net when Harry Wakefield’s header set up Cockerell whose finish beat Smith in the home goal only to be denied by the offside flag.
Kaiman Anderson sent a ball across the face of the Boldmere goal before some excellent play from Atherton presented Birch with a chance to add to his tally but he tried to pick out a waiting team mate and Boldmere cleared their lines.
After Cockerline missed a golden opportunity early in the second half, heading over from six yards out, Boldmere gradually began to look stronger although it was Rangers who created the better chances.
Zidan Sutherland beat Phillips on the right but declined to shoot when the opportunity arose allowing Boldmere to clear. Worley clipped his shot over the bar and Barber saved from Anderson when the Stafford man had just the keeper to beat.
The visitors pushed forward in the closing stages and nearly levelled when Smith failed to deal with a free kick. Kye Bilton lobbed the ball over the crowd but it came back off the post before being cleared by Cockerline.
Stafford Rangers: Callum Smith, Callum Wilson, Alex Worley, Jack Sherratt (Mason Rees 75), Andy Burns, James O’Neill, John Atherton (Zidan Sutherland 58), Jack Birch, Dan Cockerline, Kaiman Anderson (Ben O’Hanlon 90), James McQuilkin Subs not used: Zak Noble, Ashley Fallon
Boldmere St Michaels: Harrison Barber, Kye Bilton, Pierre Phillips, George Cleet (Jordan Gough 53), Kyle Burke (Connor Armstrong 67), Charlie Manners (Nathan Oyemade 77), Red Simmons, Kory Burke (Alex Lock 78), Harry Wakefield, Danny O’Callaghan, Freddie Cockerell. Sub not used: Lewis Allison