Stourbridge 4 Stafford Rangers 0

The visitors, who narrowly missed out on a play-off spot in the Evo-Stik NPL Division 1 South last season and will be amongst the favourites to do even better this time around, were swept aside in a performance that suggested tentative optimism for the months to come after the disappointing second half to 2014/15.

There were first appearances at the War Memorial Ground for summer signings Kristian Green, Dan Scarr, Nathan Hayward, Tom Tonks, Stuart Pierpoint and Jamie Insall as evidence of the changes made by manager Gary Hackett, whilst another new signing, goalkeeper Charlie Price took his place on the substitutes' bench.

There was an early double-chance for Dodd and Tonks which neither could make the most of, before a fizzing effort from Dan Cope for Stafford was well held by Lewis Solly. Drew Canavan curled a free-kick just over the crossbar as the half-hour approached, and then put a similar effort past the post from open play moments later, before Kayelden Brown saw his shot saved by Adam Whitehouse for the visitors.

Just as it seemed the Glassboys were going to suffer from the same inability to take chances that blighted much of last season, they were emphatically shown how to do it in somewhat freakish circumstances with 35 minutes played. Nathan Rooney on halfway, and under no great pressure, turned and thumped the ball towards his own goal, catching out Whitehouse, who could only gaze as it sailed past him and into the net.

Having been gifted that lead, Stourbridge proceeded to double it two minutes from the interval, as Insall showed tenacity to release Dodd down the left, the former Leamington man putting in a cross which Brown was on hand to convert.

Rangers made a host of changes at the break and asserted some pressure in the opening stages of the second half. Solly was forced into a good save from a free-kick, and there were a number of corners that they could not turn into anything more concrete.

But it was the Glassboys who made the game safe on 70 minutes as Junior Smikle fed Dodd in the box, and his low finish beat Whitehouse.

The same player made it four just three minutes later, rounding Whitehouse before finishing coolly after a surging run from Canavan had opened up the defence.

There were a couple of scares for Stourbridge in the closing stages, as Pierpoint and then Scarr both had to be alert to clear their lines, but all-in-all manager Hackett will be pleased with his team's efforts.

STOURBRIDGE LINE-UP: Solly, Green (Connolly 74), Scarr, Hayward (Harris 69), Tonks, Pierpoint, Dodd, Broadhurst, Insall (McPike 74), Brown (Smikle 69), Canavan.

UNUSED SUBSTITUTE: Price.

ATTENDANCE: 204.