Blue Square North
Gainsborough Trinity 0
Stafford Rangers 3

Trinity were forced into one change from the game at Tamworth.
Marc Newsham made his home debut in place of the injured Ryan Mallon.
Nicky Ellis was available after suspension, but had to be content with a place on the bench.

Neither side was able to take control of a fractious opening 15 minutes, which saw the visitors forced into two substitutions.
Left-back Jonathon Loukes' afternoon was ended by a two-footed Chris Hall challenge on seven minutes.

The Trinity wide man was booked for the rash tackle, and after lengthy treatment, Tom Ingram replaced Loukes.

Things got worse for Rangers on 15 minutes when Jimmy Phillips, on loan from premier league Stoke City, was withdrawn with a back problem.
These problems seem to throw a spanner in the works of an organised Stafford side.

The Blues nearly took full advantage when both Lewis McMahon and Hall saw their point-blank range efforts miraculously saved by Danny Alcock.
Simon Bird's cross had found McMahon on the edge of the six yard box, but Alcock scrambled across his goal line to save, and Hall's rebound was pushed away by Alcock.

This was to be Trinity's last serious threat on goal in the first half.
As the half wore on, Stafford seemed to be able to coast through an ordinary looking home side, and Stuart Pierpoint wasted two good headers and Adam Sollitt had to be alert to a through ball which the dangerous David McNiven nearly latched onto.

The pressure finally told right on half-time when Sollitt picked up a James Lukic backpass.

From the resulting free-kick, Bobby Wilson managed to power the ball through a nine-man Trinity wall on the goal-line and into the net. It was nothing more than Stafford deserved.

The visitors immediately doubled their advantage after half-time, when Neal Spafford made a rash challenge on Carl Palmer.

The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and McNiven failed with his first effort, which was well saved by Sollitt.
McNiven reacted quickest though, and bundled the rebound over the line to give Stafford a comfortable cushion.

This brought the home side to life, and Trinity did spend a lot of time camped in the Stafford half, but the Blues seemed devoid of attacking ideas as soon as the ball was in the final third.

A Spafford header caused chaos in the six-yard box, but Alcock remained largely untested.

As the game ambled towards its conclusion though, there was still time for Stafford to steal a third in ridiculous circumstances.

The ball was played in behind Gareth Davies, who allowed the ball to run out of play.

But McNiven had nipped behind Davies in attempt to keep the ball in play.

The assistant began to raise his flag, but put it down as Trinity stopped.

McNiven advanced into the Trinity area, and calmly rolled the ball back to Ingram who finished off past Sollitt.

Trinity players and manager Charles all confronted the assistant. The ball was clearly a yard out, and this fact was even obvious to Stafford manager Steve Bull.

The poor performance from the match officials however, failed to disguise that the Blues did not perform yet again in front of their home faithful.