Blyth Spartan 4 Stourbridge 3

Nicholson drove the ball past Charlie Price to seal a dramatic win for the home side which was harsh on Stourbridge’s efforts in an excellent game of football.

There was an enforced change in Gary Hackett’s starting line-up, with Louis Harris coming in for the departed Tom Tonks, and Stuart Pierpoint also returned after suspension as Chris Knight made way.

Blyth were first to show, forcing a number of free kicks around the penalty area in the opening ten minutes, the first of which saw the home side dealt a blow as their lone striker Dan Maguire sustained an injury that ended his involvement in the game and saw Arran Wearmouth come on in his place. Sean Reid hammered the resulting dead ball into the Glassboys defensive wall, and then Robbie Dale saw his shot deflected over from another free kick shortly afterwards, but for the most part Stourbridge managed to keep the home side at arms length.

In fact, they were to more than that with 13 minutes played, as Ben Billingham’s free kick from out wide saw Stuart Pierpoint arrive late in the area to head past Fabian Otte in the home goal and hand the visitors something of a surprise lead.

And within three minutes the lead was doubled in almost identical circumstances. This time, Billingham’s free kick found the head of Justin Richards and he glanced the ball beyond Otte from close range.

Blyth tried to respond to that double blow, with Michael Richardson shooting wide, but still Stourbridge created chances. Otte did well to save from Chris Lait after good work by Richards, and then another Pierpoint header from a Billingham corner was well kept out by Otte as set-pieces continued to cause problems for the home defence.

However, Blyth were to begin to assert a measure of control on the game as they half progressed. Reid, like Richardson before him, shot wide when a more composed finish might have reaped dividends, but the home side did pull a goal back on 33 minutes as Dale somehow managed to get in a cross to the far post where Reid was able to head home.

With the Glassboys rattled and inviting pressure by conceding possession too easily, Spartans had the momentum, and only a clearance off the line by Price prevented Ryan Hutchinson from levelling matters. It was no more than a temporary reprieve though, as Dale waltzed round Junior Smikle and Chris Lait before tucking the ball past Price. It had taken just four minutes for the Glassboys’ lead to vanish.

With half time, and the chance to regroup, approaching, Stourbridge would have been happy to go in level, but there was another twist in store for the crowd of 523 as Lait thundered in a shot that came down off the underside of the crossbar where Karl Hawley, quickest to react, was able to nod the ball over the line and put the Glassboys ahead once more.

There was still time before the break for Danny Parker to head over for Blyth from another free kick, and then for Reid to send in a tame shot that Price gathered comfortably, but the interval came with Stourbridge certainly happy to be ahead.

There was no mistaking Blyth’s intentions early in the second period as they pushed forward from the start. An early free kick from Dale produced cries for a penalty after the ball seemed to strike a Stourbridge defender on the arm, but nothing was given, and then a Blyth corner flashed right across the face of Price’s goal and out for a goal kick, with nobody able to get a touch on the ball.

Stephen Turnbull fired over on 54 minutes, before Reid burst into the box, only to stumble over the ball as he set himself to shoot, and then Nicholson’s dangerous looking cross evaded the onrushing Wearmouth in the middle and drifted wide.

A rare Stourbridge attack saw Lait go on a good run but a heavy touch let him down and allowed Otte to gather the ball, but that was a brief respite from the home side’s pressure as Turnbull saw his shot deflected for a corner, from which Dale skimmed the top of the crossbar.

But as the half reached its midway point, calamity struck for the Glassboys. Reid burst into the penalty area and was brought to earth by Price as he attempted to round the keeper. With Reid having taken the ball wide of goal, Price escaped with just a yellow card, but Turnbull offered him no second chance from 12 yards, despatching the spot kick to Price’s left as he dived right.

Blyth’s tails were up now, and Price was twice tested again in quick succession, finger-tipping away a header from Reid, and then saving from Richardson’s shot. Dale hit a fee kick over the bar on 75 minutes, before Richards did the same at the other end shortly after as Stourbridge sought to put themselves ahead for a third, and hopefully decisive, time.

With driving rain and wind swirling around Croft Park, Blyth were occasionally guilty of not finding a good final ball, and Stourbridge’s defence, with Pierpoint and Smikle particularly impressive, found a way to deal with most of what was thrown at them.

The Glassboys could have edged their noses in front with four minutes to play, as substitute Drew Canavan whipped in a cross that beat everybody, but as stoppage time approached it was the home side who seemed the more likely to find a winner. Price saved from Wearmouth at his near post on 88 minutes, and the resulting corner appeared to travel right across the area before striking the far post and rebounding to safety.

The five stipulated added minutes came and went, but with further time added on after Turnbull and Smikle had required treatment, and in the Stourbridge man’s case a bandaged head, it appeared that Price might have had the last word as he clawed away another header from Reid. However, Blyth were not to be denied as Dale set up Nicholson for the rasping finish that rendered all Stourbridge’s hard work in vain.

The defeat means the Glassboys now occupy 12th place in the Evo-Stik League Premier Division table ahead of the Christmas and New Year period.