Stourbridge 5 Sutton Coldfield Town 2

Gary Hackett’s men scraped through to the 3rd Qualifying Round thanks to a successfully converted injury-time penalty from Sean Geddes, which finally saw off the challenge of the Evo-stik League Division One South club, who gave the home defence plenty of problems during the afternoon with their direct approach. The strong and hard running Nathan Thompson, in particular, gave the Stourbridge back-line some uncomfortable moments, but it was Ben Billingham who helped turn the game back the way of the hosts in the second period.

Sutton Coldfield Town went closest to scoring in the opening quarter-of-an-hour with a testing Luke Chapman free-kick on 11 minutes bouncing awkwardly in-front of home custodian Dean Coleman, who somewhat unconvincingly pushed the ball away and then nine minutes later the Royals opened the scoring when Chapman delivered another free-kick towards the back of the box and the ball was headed back across goal by Parsons towards the six-yard area to the feet of Daryl Taylor and as Coleman dived at his feet, Thompson in close proximity to shoot home. Stourbridge responded in the 24th minute with Ben Billingham sending in a free-kick from the right into the near post area where Will Richards got in-front of keeper Lee Evans, but saw his downward header bounce inches wide. Moments after Jean Kalenda had been replaced by Ryan Rowe, the Glassboys survived another scare when a long free-kick on 26 minutes by Joel kettle was not dealt with by the home defence and Thompson was left with a sight on goal, but Coleman reacted quickly to close the striker down and make a blocking save. Stourbridge immediately hit back with Nathan Bennett getting on the end of a Geddes free-kick, but his downward glancing header was saved by Lee Evans. The visitors threatened again in the 32nd minute as Thompson laid the ball off to ex-Glassboy Mark Danks who hit a long range shot that Coleman grabbed at the second attempt. The Glassboys best move of the half almost yielded an equaliser on 36 minutes with Aaron Drake playing the ball down the right to Billingham who beat Matt Jackson before providing a telling cross into the middle for Luke Benbow to head goalwards, but he was denied by a diving save from Evans. In first-half stoppage time the home side went close again with a right-wing corner from Geddes met by the head of Bennett, however Evans managed to push the ball aside down by his right-hand post.

Stourbridge had a let-off four minutes after the break when a kick forward by Evans was headed on by Thompson into the path of Danks through the left channel area, however he pulled his low left-foot shot past the far post. Six minutes later Billingham went close for the hosts with a 25-yard free-kick that fizzed over the bar, but Sutton replied two minutes later with a storming run from Thompson through the middle that took him past Bennett before he hit a low shot that Coleman did not hold, but the keeper recovered to block the follow-up from Thompson. Two goals in five minutes from Billingham then looked to have put Stourbridge in the driving seat. In the 67th minute a kick downfield from Coleman was flicked on by Ryan Rowe and Billingham managed to get the wrong side of his marker to find himself through on the right-hand side of the box. It looked like he may have taken one touch too many as Evans narrowed the angle, but Billingham kept his head to clip the ball into the far corner of the net and then on 71 minutes Stourbridge won a free-kick just outside the Sutton box and Billingham curled the ball round the wall and with the aid of a slight deflection, he found the net again with Evans appearing to be unsighted. A good move after 77 minutes almost provided a third goal with Geddes slipping a pass inside from the right to Benbow and he threaded a pass through into the run of Billingham and he pulled the ball back to Rowe, whose shot was well blocked by a Sutton defender. Six minutes later Leon Broadhurst broke up a visitors attack and spread the ball across to Rowe. He quickly switched play with a cross-field pass to Benbow and he drove into the box, but his shot was turned round the post by Evans. In the 86th minute however Sutton restored parity as a left-wing corner unhinged the Glassboys defence and Lee Parsons got the final touch after the ball had bobbled around the goal-line. A replay looked on the cards, but in time added on, the hosts forced a corner and from Geddes’ right-wing flag-kick, the ball dropped to the feet of Bennett and his shot goal-wards hit Scott Lycett who was adjudged to have handled the ball as he attempted a block. Lycett was sent-off and after protests had died down, Geddes calmly stroked the spot-kick home to record his 9th goal of the season and take Stourbridge through to Monday lunchtime’s draw.