Stourbridge 1 Matlock Town 0

Manager Gary Hackett initially made just one change from last Saturday's win at Stamford, with Luke Benbow returning in place of Jordan Fitzpatrick, who had been a doubt ahead of the game with a slight hamstring strain. However, Chris Knight was taken ill during the warm-up meaning Fitzpatrick was drafted in and Leon Broadhurst took Knight's centre-back position.

There was no repeat of the explosive opening against Grantham Town two weeks ago, and the early stages of the game saw few openings at either end. Benbow had the first opportunity for Stourbridge, shooting wide on 12 minutes after he had struggled to get the ball out from under his feet. At the other end, Matlock were restricted to long-range efforts that failed to trouble Dean Coleman.

Fitzpatrick had the best chance of the half on 20 minutes when Luke Connolly's astute pass found him unmarked in the penalty area with just Jon Kennedy in the visitors' goal to beat. But the shot was placed to close to the keeper and Kennedy was able to beat it to away with a covering defender completing the clearance.

Matlock threatened on 36 minutes when skipper Danny Holland was also allowed too much time in the penalty area but his hooked shot on the turn flew wide, before Stourbridge were forced into a change as Reece Hales hobbled off to be replaced by Josh Morgan-Parker.

Just before the interval Corey Gregory's header from a left wing cross was also off-target for the Gladiators, as they ended the half in the ascendency.

However, the Glassboys were to take the lead on 53 minutes as Canavan added another delicious free-kick to his growing collection. Brian Smikle was fouled by Niall McManus in the "D" and Canavan stepped up to curl his effort into the same top corner that he had found against Skelmersdale early in December.

Matlock responded with Josh Meade driving a 20 yard shot just wide after 57 minutes before Leon Broadhurst was desperately unlucky not to double the Glassboys' lead on the hour. Meeting Canavan's right-wing corner with a glancing downwards header at the near post he saw the ball squirm through the legs of Kennedy only to be blocked on the line by Gregory, who then hacked the ball to safety as it rolled along the goal-line.

From there on, Stourbridge were largely content to soak up pressure and look to hit Matlock on the break through Benbow and Morgan-Parker. Dean Coleman was forced into a fine save to deny Jamie McDonagh on 65 minutes, with Holland only able to find the side-netting with his follow-up effort, whilst the Stourbridge keeper was perhaps fortunate that Liam Needham couldn't get a firmer touch on his header 12 minutes from allowing Coleman to save more comfortably than might otherwise have been the case.

And Coleman was called into action once more in stoppage time to block Meade's shot at close range from a Matlock corner.

It may not have been one of Stourbridge's best performances of the season, but in tricky conditions for both sides they just about did enough to deserve the points.

The result moves the Glassboys up one place to 10th in the Evo-Stik League Premier Division table, on 45 points from 29 matches played, 7 points off the play-off places.

Stourbridge: Coleman, Smikle, Quaynor, Williams, Hales (Morgan-Parker 37), Brown, Connolly, Broadhurst, Benbow, Canavan, Fitzpatrick (Tye 80).

Unused substitutes: Hill (gk), Kalenda, Kenny.

Attendance: 369.