Four-midable Lancaster City extend unbeaten run at Stafford Rangers

Lancaster City beat Stafford Rangers 4-2 away from home to extend their unbeaten run.

City now haven’t lost in six games and were very impressive in their first outing since November 28. 

First half goals from Kyle Brownhill and Brad Carroll and a second half strike from Dom Lawson gave them a three goal cushion before two late goals from the hosts gave them a scare, but Tom Kilifin made sure of the win with his first goal since rejoining Lancaster last month. 

Both members of the interim management duo, Andrew Teague and Simon Grand, played on Saturday - Grand from the start and Teague off the bench. 

Lancaster threatened early on, with three or four really decent chances inside the opening quarter of an hour.

Sam Bailey’s free kick was caught by Cameron Belford before Dom Lawson’s effort went just wide.

Brad Carroll and Dom Lawson took on shots from range forced good saves from Belford during a period of the game in which the Dolly Blues were absolutely dominant.

Those two players would both go on to score but it was Kyle Brownhill who got City’s first.

Sam Bailey whipped in one of his trademark crosses and Brownhill connected to get his second goal in three games, and his second goal against Stafford Rangers this season. 

Brad Carroll got Lancaster’s second on the stroke of half time. 

Belford parried Jacob Holland-Wilkinson’s initial effort but only into the path of Carroll, who headed the ball into the net.

City got a third around twenty minutes after the restart. 

Once again, it was a goal from a rebound - Jake Connelly saw his low effort saved but Dom Lawson tapped it into an empty net to get his sixth of the season.

Former Morecambe forward A-Jay Leitch-Smith got one back for the home side with around fifteen minutes to go, managing to find his way around the outrushing Andre Mendes and narrow the margin to two goals.

Stafford made things interesting with only a few minutes remaining when they got a second to make Lancaster’s comfortable lead slightly less so. 

Kaiman Anderson got the final touch in a crowded 18-yard box after a set piece delivery. 

They searched for a fourth in the dying embers of the game and they got it. 

Tom Kilifin got his first goal since returning to the club from just outside the box after a clever ball from Charlie Bailey.

Interim boss and substitute Andrew Teague spoke to the club’s media team post-match.

“In the first half, I thought we were fantastic”, said Teague.

“It could’ve been five or six goals and we could’ve been out of reach at half time.”

“We’re getting in great areas in great places, one touch, two touch, getting it round, doing it quicker and we’re always going to create chances.”

Speaking about his own appearance in the game, Teague said: “You don’t want to bring yourself on as a manager but it just needed that little tweak to see the game through, and it worked in our favour.”

The Dolly Blues’ next game is at home to fourth-placed Worksop Town on Saturday (December 23).