Stourbridge 3 Curzon Ashton 0

The Glassboys are dreaming of another F A Cup adventure after booking their place in the final qualifying round with victory over their opponents from the Tameside area of Greater Manchester who came into this contest unbeaten in the Evo-stik League First Division North. Gary Hackett’s men made a lightning start aided by a costly error by visiting custodian Hakan Burton that gifted Stourbridge a 4th minute lead. Leon Broadhurst tried to slip a low through pass into the run of Ben Billingham, but the ball was slightly over-hit and Burton advancing from his line towards the edge of his box got there first and dived to claim the ball, only for it to slip from his grasp on the damp surface and run invitingly to Ryan Rowe who calmly stroked the ball past the keeper and into the unguarded net. A minute later though the keeper went some way to redeeming himself with a terrific reaction save by his left-hand upright to keep out a near post header by Rowe from Drew Canavan’s right-wing cross and Burton was called into action again soon afterwards as a Rowe flick looked to have put Billingham in, but the keeper dived at his feet to make a vital block. After enduring a torrid opening spell, Curzon Ashton began to settle and pose more problems for the home side. In the 17th minute a throw-in from Sam Walker on the right enabled Connor Hampson to hit an early 25-yard drive that Dean Coleman opted to beat away, but Stourbridge responded and managed to double their lead in the 26th minute as Jamie Oliver returned from suspension to glance home a header from Ben Billingham’s right-wing corner. The visitors sought an immediate reply with Matt Warburton hitting a low 20-yard drive that Coleman dived down to his right to save, but he was unable to hold and the ball had to be cleared to safety. A sweeping 29th minute move though could have seen the Glassboys more or less home when Sean Geddes fed Billingham and he slipped a pass into Canavan, who could have taken a shot himself, but instead he rolled the ball across to Jordan Fitzpatrick who took a touch before hitting a low shot that beat Burton but was cleared off the line by Dale Minor and three minutes later Fitzpatrick found Rowe and he dug out a shot that ran wide of Burton’s left-hand post. Stourbridge lost Nathan Bennett from the heart of their defence on 36 minutes with a twisted ankle with Oliver slotting in alongside Will Richards and Paul Lloyd introduced at left-back. A minute later Walker threaded the ball to Warburton who worked room for a low shot from just outside the box that Coleman gathered at the second attempt. Four minutes before the interval Stourbridge threatened again with Rowe slipping a pass through to Billingham and he drove in a shot that Burton tipped round the post and Billingham also shot off-target a minute later after cutting in from the right. In the 43rd minute Curzon Ashton momentarily thought that they had halved the deficit when Hampson found Chris McDonagh on the right and his low cross was turned in by Warburton, but his celebrations were cut short by an assistant’s flag for offside.

Following a lively first 45 minutes, the second period didn’t carry the same level of drama and excitement, although the home side were relieved when Curzon Ashton had a second goal ruled out for offside on 61 minutes after Ryan Watson fired home from Warburton’s pass. In the 71st minute Oliver headed wide from a right-wing Billingham corner and five minutes later a goal-kick from Coleman was headed by Rowe into the path of Billingham on the right and he took a return pass in his stride, however his low shot was too close to Burton. On 89 minutes Curzon Ashton mounted an attack with Chris Young finding sub Mark Bett who pulled the ball back from the left-hand by-line towards Warburton who lofted his first-time shot over the bar and instead Stourbridge grabbed a third goal just before the end with Geddes supplying a ball forward through the right channel area and Luke Benbow used his pace to get the better of Andrew Watson before bursting into the box and driving home a low angled shot to the delight of the majority of the 663 crowd.

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