AFC Totton 1 Stourbridge 4

The visitors threatened for the first time after 4 minutes. Sean Geddes floated in a free-kick from just outside the right-hand side of the penalty box and Leon Broadhurst rose to get in a header that flew inches over the crossbar. Nine minutes later though Gary Hackett’s men forged ahead. The hosts were unable to clear away a Stourbridge corner and the ball was fed to Andre Francis on the right. He sent in a cross towards the back of the box which was taken down superbly by Nathan Bennett who was caught as he tried to turn and shoot to win a penalty and Geddes made no mistake from the spot. The Glassboys had a chance to extend their advantage in the 21st minute when Luke Benbow supplied a cross from the right that was collected by Jordan Fitzpatrick and he checked inside before driving a shot straight at Joe McCormack in the Totton goal. A minute later though, the home side drew level. Zac Mouland received the ball on the right and his neat through pass caught out Henry Eze as it skipped off the wet surface to allow Taylor Edwards to get in behind him and he drilled a low shot past Dean Coleman. Stourbridge hit back on 27 minutes with Billingham threading a pass through into the run of Ryan Rowe as the hosts appealed in vain for offside, but his shot from the right-hand side of the area was blocked by the legs of McCormack. Three minutes later however, Stourbridge were awarded their second penalty of the game. Billingham combined with Rowe once more down the right before pulling the ball back low from close to the by-line for Fitzpatrick who was tripped by Chris Onoufriou inside the box. Geddes stepped forward to again convert his spot-kick to restore our lead. Eight minutes before the break, Geddes went close to grabbing his third goal of the afternoon. A quickly taken left-wing corner from Fitzpatrick was played short to the Glassboys midfielder who curled a shot goal-wards that bounced narrowly wide of McCormack’s left-hand upright. Geddes didn’t have too long to wait for his hat-trick goal however as a few minutes later the Glassboys won a third spot-kick in the half. A throw-in on the left was headed on by Rowe and the ball flicked off a defender into the path of Benbow and he broke into the left-hand side of the box, but saw his shot parried by McCormack, however Rowe reacted quickest to pounce on the rebound, only to be brought down by Lewis Ross. Geddes drilled home the resulting penalty to complete an unusual hat-trick.

Three minutes into the second period Stourbridge more or less made sure of the three points as a 30 –yard drive from Broadhurst took a wicked deflection that left McCormack wrong-footed as it flew into the bottom corner of the net. The hosts continued to fight gamely, but the Glassboys might have added another goal on the hour mark when Benbow linked up with Billingham down the right flank before taking a return pass, only to slip over initially inside the box. He quickly got back up though to get away a left-foot shot that McCormack was able to block. Two minutes later Fitzpatrick clipped a ball into Broadhurst on the left-hand side of the area and he brought it under control well before hitting an angled low shot past the far post. Totton responded in the 69th minute with Luke Roberts supplying a cross from the left that was headed back across goal for sub Clive Makoni to direct a header on target that Coleman had to tip over the crossbar. In the final quarter of the match Stourbridge rang the changes and in the 84th minute a kick downfield from Coleman bounced through invitingly to Canavan, but he volleyed the ball over the bar. Another sub, George Washbourne, then had a chance to score after bursting through the left channel area, however he was denied by McCormack and then in the 89th minute Canavan collected a clearance from Coleman wide on the right and he cut inside before hitting a low curling shot that McCormack saved diving down to his right. Just before the final whistle the visitors were awarded a free-kick just outside the box and Washbourne beat the wall with his effort on goal, but saw the ball rebound off McCormack’s left-hand post with Will Richards unable to turn home the loose ball.