Stafford Rangers 1, Vauxhall 1

Oct 14 2004 By Christopher Beesley, Ellesmere Port Pioneer

MOTORMEN manager Owen Brown felt his side should have been given the chance to secure a third straight league win on Saturday after a late penalty shout was not given.

In a frantic last 10 minutes which also saw the hosts having an effort cleared off the line, Peter Cumiskey went down under a challenge from home keeper James Dormand but referee Tony Horton did not point to the spot.

Brown said: 'I felt that the referee swallowed the decision. Peter worked hard to get a touch on the ball and if we'd have been given the spot kick, we could've won the game.'

Although Tim Dittmer had to save well with his foot to deny Craig Wilding, it was the Motormen who kept the hosts on the back foot in the first half.

Vauxhall really should have taken the lead when Cumiskey picked out Karl O'Donnell, but although the striker used his pace to get round Dormand, his composure in front of goal let him down as he inexplicably fired wide.

The opener did arrive in spectacular fashion on 28 minutes when a Robbie Lawton free kick from the left-wing corner-kick position was half-cleared to McDermott on the edge of the area, to volley the ball into the roof of the net.

Obviously upset by the double whammy of their side losing while having to miss the England match that was being played at the same time, Stafford fans consoled themselves with a rendition of 'You're Welsh and you know you are' directed towards the visitors.

But just as we were all scratching our heads at the prospect of Cambrian annexation of Ellesmere Port, there were more realistic problems on the pitch in the 36th minute as home striker Neil Grayson, now in his 40th year, was allowed to waltz past Flood and James Glendenning in the visitors' defence before slotting the ball past Dittmer, low to the keeper's right.

Either side of Vauxhall's penalty shout, Dittmer was the busier of the keepers after the break as he was called into action to turn a Grayson volley around the post.

Stafford almost nicked the win in the final minute when substitute Jamie Phoenix attempted to lob Dittmer with an opportunist overhead scissors-kick, but the keeper got back to claw the effort off the line.

Vauxhall: Dittmer, Woodyatt (Wright 67), Flood, Glendenning, Spellman, Brazier, McDermott (Nesbitt 77), Lawton, O'Don-nell, Olsen, Cumiskey.