Gloucester City secured their place in the first round proper of the FA Trophy with a commanding 4-0 victory over Stafford Rangers at the KMM Energy Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Manager Daf Williams expressed his satisfaction with the performance but insisted his squad must remain grounded.
“We are pleased with both the result and the display, especially keeping a clean sheet against a strong, aggressive side,” Williams remarked. “Stafford Rangers were intense in everything they did. After Tuesday’s disappointing 5-2 defeat at Malvern Town, many might have thought facing such opponents would be tough, but the lads really stood up today.”
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Williams emphasised the need for consistency moving forward: “We’ve said before that we want to build on these performances, but actions speak louder than words.”
Gloucester City started positively, with Evander Grubb creating an early chance just five minutes in; his audacious chip was thwarted on the line by Bebeto Gomes. The breakthrough came 14 minutes into the match when Ashley Hemmings cut in from the right and curled an exquisite shot into the far corner.
The game momentarily lost momentum until Kian Hill revitalised it, spinning past a defender and striking a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar. The contest took a turn against Stafford Rangers when Harvey Washington was sent off for a last-man shirt pull, denying City a clear scoring opportunity.
Taking advantage, Hemmings doubled the lead from the penalty spot, confidently sending the ball into the left corner beyond the reach of keeper Phillips. Williams praised Hemmings’ versatility and leadership: “His contribution is consistently high, and scoring goals is his forte. He’s a real example in terms of work rate and application, so I’m delighted for him.”
Although Hemmings believed he had secured a hat-trick minutes later, the goal was disallowed after the linesman ruled the ball hadn’t fully crossed the line, sparking protests from the home crowd.
The advantage grew further when Ethan Dunbar converted a second penalty with ten minutes remaining. To complete the emphatic win, Tom Owen-Evans capitalised on a loose ball in stoppage time, slotting home to make it 4-0.
Reflecting on recent results, Williams remains optimistic ahead of Tuesday’s league fixture against leaders Plymouth Parkway. “We’ve had mixed fortunes lately, with positive moments overshadowed by poor results. The league position must improve, and today the lads showed they can stand up to that challenge. We expect more of the same on Tuesday.”
The first round proper of the FA Trophy is scheduled for Saturday, 24 October.
Line-ups:
Gloucester City: Kane; Nugent, O’Regan, E. Williams (Clarke 67); Hemmings (Evans 76), Grubb (Dunbar 54), Thomas (c); Emmett (Lewis 76), Keyes, H. Williams (Owen-Evans 76), Hill.
Stafford Rangers: Phillips; Gomes, Dunne, Ferrier, Burns (c); Zaknoune (Tonks 45), Sambor (Thompson 77), Mason (DaSilva 84), Webster (Bakkor 45); Washington, Efunnuga. Sub unused: Birch.
Referee: James Thompson.
Attendance: 533.