VAUXHALL Motors extended their winning run to four with a second clean sheet in as many days thanks to resilient defensive performance and summer signing Nick Rushton hitting his fourth for the season as they beat Stafford Rangers 1-0.

The Motors started the more positive of the two sides in an attempt to establish a foothold on the first half.

Tuesday’s goal scorer Josh Quarless found himself key to a move again as he looked to slip the ball to Jawad Jebrin which allowed the winger a chance to run at goal on the left flank. He looked to step across his defender and get his body in the way before being brought down inside the area. Despite this the referee elected to award a free kick in favour of Stafford.

As the game approached the half an hour mark it became clear this would be a war of attrition as both sides struggled with the final ball to break down two incredibly strong-willed defences.

Vauxhalls did however get their first big chance as Isaac Goodwin delivered an early throw into Jebrin who had bypassed the Rangers back line unnoticed. He got his head up in the box and pulled it back to Connor Rankin who struggled to control the ball and allowed Jake Kirby-Reed a free shot in the area. However, the contact was poor and resulted in more trouble for the groundsman than the keeper as it cleared the clubhouse behind the goal.

The Motormen thought they’d found an opener after 35 minutes when a corner was knocked across goal by Rankin at the back post. Toby Jones rose highest, but his header was blocked and gave him a chance to go again. This time he showed off some incredible acrobatics to poke home a powerful bicycle kick but in doing so made contact with the contesting defenders head resulting in a foul.

This spelt a lengthy delay which saw five minutes added on before the curtain was closed on a pretty uneventful first half.

Returning from the break, Vauxhall were the first to hit the target as ping pong on the edge of the area fell into the feet of Rankin. He hit it first time with a left footed curling effort that was met by an incredibly impressive right hand from Cameron Belford who palmed it past the post to keep the scores level.

It wouldn’t stay this way much longer though as with 20 minutes to go the dead lock finally broke. Jones delivered his trademark long throw into the box which passed the collective legs of four Motors and Stafford players before landing into the path of Rushton at the back post. He arrived to hit it goalward, and the strike was high and powerful enough to be too much for the Rangers number one to deal with. 

Motors looked to defend their lead as play entered its final stages and the instruction of get it into the corner was clear from Danny Holmes as a breakaway from Kevin Ellison saw the veteran striker ignore the run of Jordan Wynne and George Nugent on the left flank in space to favour a ball in behind for Rankin to run onto and hold play for as long as he could.

Nugent ignored this moments later however, in favour of demonstrating some brilliant footwork. He broke down the left flank and was one on one with the hosts left back. Cutting inside, he nutmegged the player before attempting to unleash a curling effort, but it was promptly blocked.

The board went up on the touch line displaying five additional minutes for the side in black and white to try and steal something from the game, but they struggled to put together a threatening enough chance which could turn into something tangible.

Soaking up the pressure well,  Jones would head away a throw into the box which in turn the referee decided was enough to warrant the final whistle and confirm yet another victory for Vauxhall Motors who now sit second in the Northern Premier League West table.