Workington AFC 1 Stourbridge 3

... overcome struggling Conference North outfit Workington AFC. With a strong wind blowing across Borough Park, conditions were difficult at times for both sets of players, particularly when the rain arrived too for the start of the second-half, but the Glassboys stuck to their task manfully to earn a deserved victory.

There were early opportunities at either end. In the 2nd minute a Lee Andrews cross from the right provided a chance for Scott Allison, but his downward header was straight at Glassboys custodian Dean Coleman. A minute later Ryan Rowe slipped a pass into the run of Luke Benbow and from the right-hand side of the box he hit an angled low shot that forced home stopper Alex Wimmer into a diving save away to his right. With ten minutes played though the Glassboys opened the scoring as Sean Geddes floated in a right-wing corner and Jamie Oliver got in a glancing header that found the net with the help of a deflection. The Glassboys were competing well against their higher division opponents and always looked a threat going forwards, however the home side might have found an equaliser on 20 minutes when a tantalising left-wing free-kick from Conor Tinnion evaded both Josef Jackson and Dan Wordsworth in the middle. Twelve minutes later Coleman was unable to hold a low drive from Tinnion, but he gathered the ball at the second attempt. The task in hand got harder for the Cumbrian hosts six minutes before the break when Wordsworth was sent-off for a strong tackle just outside his own box on Benbow that the referee viewed as reckless to leave Workington a man light. In first-half stoppage time Stourbridge almost added a second goal as Benbow was tackled, but the ball broke to Drew Canavan who fired in a shot that was parried by Wimmer.

Gary Hackett's men had another chance to extend their advantage five minutes into the second period when a poor goal-kick from Wimmer went straight to Benbow. He played the ball across from the left into the path of Rowe, but rather than shooting early, he looked go round the keeper and this allowed defender Lee Andrews enough time to recover his position and block Rowe’s attempt on goal. Stourbridge continued to press and on 53 minutes a long diagonal free-kick from Aaron Drake picked out Benbow on the left. He turned inside and from just outside the corner of the box he flashed a low drive past the far post and then three minutes later Will Richards broke up a home attack and carried the ball forward before finding Benbow on the left. This time he advanced before curling a shot past Wimmer’s left-hand upright. The pivotal period of the contest arrived just past the hour mark as Workington’s David Lynch was able to release Jackson away through the right channel area on goal, but he took one touch too many and the advancing Coleman did superbly well to save at his feet and smother the ball. Instead Stourbridge returned on to the attack to force a corner and once more a set-piece paid dividends as Geddes again delivered in a flag-kick from the right and Richards rose highest to beat Wimmer to the ball and head home. Twelve minutes from time the Glassboys struck again as a mistake from Kyle May allowed Benbow a free run on goal and he coolly rounded Wimmer before slotting home into an empty net to put us 3-0 up. It was nearly four on 81 minutes as Benbow combined with Canavan who then pulled back a cross from the left for Benbow to meet on the volley, but he was thwarted by a sharp save down to his right by Wimmer. Four minutes from time, however Workington pulled a goal back after Drake lost possession to Danny Forrest and he fed Ross Wilson away on the right and with our defence opened up, his cross picked out an unmarked Phil McLuckie who fired home a rising shot. Before the final whistle Canavan went close for the visitors again with a low angled shot from the left-hand side of the area that was deflected for a corner, but soon afterwards the Stourbridge players were able to celebrate another big day in the club’s history with the party of 100 or so supporters that had travelled up from the Midlands.