Stafford Rangers v Ilkeston Town.
Follow today’s football here. Regular updates appearing soon.
Stafford Rangers:
1 Belford, 2 Burns, 3 Kempster-Down, 4 Willis, 5 Stewart, 6 Lee, 7 Onyeka, 8 Leitch-Smith, 9 Anderson, 10 Cooke, 11 Heath.
Bench: 12 Payne, 16 Blissett, 15 Woods, 14 Fligg, 17 Natia.
Ilkeston Town:
1 Yates, 2 Perch, 3 Parker, 4 Eratt-Thompson, 5 Marshall Tom, 6 Cox, 7 Brandy, 8 Minkley, 9 Marshall Alex, 10 Walker, 11 Cursons.
Bench: 12 King. 13 Leivers (GK), 14 Loughlan, 15 Eratt-Thompson Koby, 16 Hutchinson.
Peep! We’re underway at Marston Road.
Stafford Rangers are in the bottom four of the NPL table and Ilkeston are midtable (10th), so Ilkeston have a good chance of continuing their good run. But we’re taking nothing for granted.
Cameron Belford is the first goalkeeper to have to make a save – he stops Tom Cursons’ shot as Ilkeston push forward early on.
Stafford force the first corner – it’s cleared.
Declan Eratt-Thompson and Jamie Walker are next to bring saves from Belford.
Ilkeston have the edge so far but Stafford have some useful players who look decent on the break.
A number of Ilkeston supporters have made the journey to Stafford and so far they have seen their side doing most of the attacking.
There’s some trouble behind the goal where the Ilko fans are. The ref stops play because of it.
Officials from both clubs move in to calm things down. Declan Eratt-Thompson is receiving treatment. I think it was the foul on him that caused the upset.
Sorted now. We’re back under way.
Tyreece Onyeka is Stafford’s main threat – he looks good going down the right.
Cursons brings a brilliant save from the goalkeeper!
Ilkeston get a corner and everyone goes up for it. Cox header goes just wide.
Brandy centres and it’s just beyond Alex Marshall. A determined late effort by Ilkeston to get ahead!
Ilkeston’s Sam Parker is booked.
The ref blow for half-time. It was starting to get physical.
Half time: nil-nil.
[HTs: Derby 0 Cheltenham 0; Notts Co 1 Barrow 1]
The second half begins at Stafford.
Apparently an Ilkeston fan has been ejected for the incident in the first half.
[Derby 0 Cheltenham 1]
Stafford shot goes high and wide.
Declan Eratt-Thompson shot is just wide of the far post.
Great defending by Sam Parker as Stafford threaten.
Lots of attacking action following the restart.
[Derby 1 Cheltenham1]
Ilkeston get lucky as a goal-bound shot is blocked and the follow-up is scrambled away.
L’Varn Brandy is the man behind most of Ilkeston’s attacks.
Great catch by Matt Yates from a Stafford raid.
Stafford are showing great determination to get out of the relegation area.
GOAL for Ilkeston. Tom Cursons the scorer, 60 mins, 1-0. Ilkeston broke away after a Stafford corner. Declan Eratt-Thompson led the charge, fed Cursons who netted with his second attempt.
Liam Loughlan replaces Alex Marshall.
Stafford are going in hard again – they feel hard done by.
Brandy is fouled and the resultant free kick gives Ilkeston an opportunity in a good position. But Stafford get the ball clear.
[Derby 2 Cheltenham 1]
Stafford are well on top now – hammering Ilkeston! But Ilkeston’s defence is holding out so far.
GOAL for Ilkeston! From another breakaway, Cursons scores on 80 mins, calmly slotting the ball past Belford, 2-0.
You have to feel some sympathy for Stafford.
Attendance here is 645.
Cursons breaks again. This time his shot takes a deflection and goes wide.
Then Walker has a shot saved by Belford and Cursons sees another effort from distance go close.
Four extra minutes.
Good efforts at both ends. Walker’s shot has Ilkeston fans up on their feet ready to celebrate – but the ball flies inches wide. And a Stafford shot skims Yates’s crossbar.
Full time: Stafford Rangers 0 Ilkeston Town 2.


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