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In my first season as Stafford Rangers I finished 7th in the Conference North and reached the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup and the 1st round of the FA Trophy. I total I played 50 games, of which 42 were league games and 8 were FA Cup/Trophy Games, of those I won 21, drew 16 and lost 13. I am just about to start my second season.
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In my second season after a shaky start not winning any of my opening 5 games, including an away loss to newly promoted Marine on the opening day of the season, I went on to win 22 of the reaming 37 games in the league, before finishing 2nd 2 points behind Worcester City in the Conference North.
I didn’t progress beyond the 3rd round FA Cup qualifying or the 2nd round of FA Trophy qualifying, so I was left to concentrate on the league. Towards the end of the season I went on a bit of a yo-yo run, winning one game drawing the next and amazing my nearest rivals, Worcester City, for the top spot kept matching me.
So it comes to the 3rd last game and I beat Worcester City 3-0 away, I am now in the box seat for the automatic promotion place, but I then go an loose my next game away 2-1 to Northwich, effectively putting me into the play-offs as Worcester City won their two remaining games. I win my final league game making me top seeds in the play-offs; I draw the home leg before winning away at Nuneaton 2-0.
So it comes to the play-off final versus Droylsden and I go behind to a 53rd minute penalty after a goalless 1st half, and I equalise in the 89th minute and the game goes into extra time I score in the 94th minute but they equalise a minute later. The score stays level at 2-2 until the end of extra time so we go to penalties. Stafford have the 1st penalty but it is missed and Droylsden score their 1st but then we score our next three while Droylsden miss their next three so I win promotion on penalties to the Conference National.
In my 3rd season I don’t have as shaky a start as I did in my 2nd season but my form was a bit yo-yoed, until went on a 9 game streak without winning from the 29th December 2007 until the 9th February 2008. From then on in I won a few games lost a game(s) then won a few games, etc. I eventually finished 12th in the Conference National, loosing my last two games, but every cloud has a silver lining and Worcester were relegated.
I reached the 1st Round of the FA trophy by being in the conference national, but lost 5-2 to York away who in the 3rd match of the league season I had demolished 4-0 at home. I managed to beat Weymouth at the second attempt in the 4th Round Qualifying for the FA Cup but then went to loose 3-0 away in the 1st round replay, to Forrest Green (then of League Two), having held them to a 1-1 draw at home.
Stafford Rangers 
, Tim2
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