REPORT: UNITED 1-2 STAFFORD RANGERS

United's winless run to the season continued with a 2-1 defeat against Stafford Rangers on Tuesday night, despite a positive showing under the Greenwich Avenue lights.

Goals from Kaiman Anderson and a fine strike from Noah Payne had the visitors two ahead, and substitute Rev James scored late on during a dominating spell to ensure a very nervy finish but it wasn't to be.

Barnsley loanees Jean Claude Makiessi and Josiah Dyer both made their debuts after signing from Oakwell in the week, and the latter was involved in the first movement of the game when he headed Matt Thornhill's cross over the bar after just three minutes.

Rangers' Nathan Blissett - nephew of former striker Luther - began to cause issues with his towering frame and an overhead kick five minutes later looked goal bound, only for the spin to divert it beyond the post.

The first real action of the game came when Anderson's run down the right saw a shot denied by the feet of Kieran Preston and, minutes later, counterpart Cameron Belford had to be at his sharpest to deny a deuce of excellent Thornhill hits.

A resultant corner clipped the crossbar but from the immediate resumption in play, Stafford took the lead.

Benefiting from a long punt forward by Belford, Anderson had time and space to fire low beyond Preston into the far corner.

United rallied, and some more neat build-up play saw Dyer have another header caught by Belford, before Brodie Litchfield smashed the foot of the post after a tempting drive-and-run across the box.

A series of inviting corners opened the second period - to little avail - but seven minutes after the restart, Payne thundered Stafford's second into the top corner after finding half-a-yard in the area.

Boss Steve Kittrick made a trio of changes on the hour that saw James, alongside Emmanuel Ilesanmi and Jack Thomas, introduced, which turned the tide.

His cross for Jaz Goundry saw a header fly just over, before a determined run from the winger forced Belford into fumbling a routine stop, only to collect at a second attempt.

Another cross allowed Ilesanmi the chance to pull within one with 68 minutes played, though the Harrogate Town loanee could only fire over.

With time ticking, it looked another frustrating night for the Ambers, but they did get the goal their performance warranted - inevitably through James.

Just before the 90 ticked round, some neat build-up play involving Tom Angell, a fine first touch from Thornhill, and Thomas, eventually saw the ball into the path of James who fired through Belford to halve the deficit.

A late spell of relentless pressure saw Goundry smash a header off the crossbar, but he was adjudged offside before the referee called time.

Next up, our second of two back-to-back games at home has us welcoming Atherton Collieries at Greenwich Avenue on Saturday afternoon (3pm).

UNITED: Preston; Roma, Angell, Makiessi, Goundry, Dearle (Thomas 62'), Bowman, Thornhill (c), Dyer, Cartwright (James 62'), Litchfield (Ilesanmi 62')
SUBS (not used): Ritzema, Campbell

ATT: 304