Stourbridge 5 Poole Town 2

A tremendous all-round team performance, reminiscent of some of their excellent displays during the second half of last season, saw the Glassboys bring a halt to Poole Town’s unbeaten start to the season in some style.

With both sides committed to attack and the game played right from the off at a lively pace, it made for an entertaining contest. Poole were first to threaten in the 9th minute when a free-kick from Steve Devlin was met by Will Spetch at the far post with his header forcing Dean Coleman into a tip-over save. The visitors defence looked jittery for much of the afternoon and an example of this came on 20 minutes when a ball into the box from the returning Paul McCone led to a mix-up between keeper Nick Hutchings and Will Spetch with a clearing header from Spetch falling invitingly for Drew Canavan, but he sent his volley over the bar. Poole responded a couple of minutes later with a quickly taken goal-kick from Hutchings allowing Carl Preston to use his pace to get away from McCone down the left, but his shot was saved by Coleman at his near post. Stourbridge then enjoyed a good spell with Paul Lloyd playing a delightful ball through the left channel area for Ben Billingham to latch on to and he beat Marvin Brooks only to see his shot well blocked by Spetch and on 26 minutes Canavan fed Rowe who supplied a low cross from the right-hand side of the penalty box across the six-yard box with Drake doing well to stab the ball goal-wards, however his effort was blocked on the line by Spetch, but the ball was not properly cleared and Sean Geddes fired in a low drive that Hutchings did well to save. Poole rallied with Warren Cummings delivering in a cross from the left that enabled Richard Gillespie to get in a header that Coleman turned round at the expense of a corner and then in the 31st minute Devlin blasted a free-kick over the crossbar. Stourbridge might have gone ahead though in the 33rd minute when a poor header back went straight to Billingham and he tried to round the keeper, but ended up being forced too wide and when he tried to pull the ball back from the by-line he was unable to pick out Rowe. Six minutes later at the other end Dan Cann laid the ball off to Devlin who let fly with a shot that Coleman collected at the second attempt. Three minutes before the break though Stourbridge made the decisive breakthrough with Lloyd finding Billingham and his cross from the left-hand by-line found Canavan unmarked in the middle and he was able to direct a header back across the keeper and into the net.

Five minutes into the second period, Stourbridge doubled their advantage following another defensive error when a weak back header from Jamie Whisken towards his own keeper enabled Billingham to nip in first before he was brought down by Hutchings. The Poole custodian was rather fortunate not to be carded, but he was unable to prevent Geddes finding the net from the resulting spot-kick. Geddes went close again in the 64th minute as he collected a pass from Lloyd before striking a 20-yard shot past Hutchings’ left-hand upright. A minute later though the Dorset visitors almost pulled a goal back with Preston delivering in a deep free-kick from the left and the ball was headed down towards Gillespie who directed a header on target that Coleman had to tip over the bar. Stourbridge threatened again though on 68 minutes with Canavan sending in a teasing cross from the right and sub Jordan Fitzpatrick, arriving at the far post, could only loft the ball over the bar as he stretched to reach it. Five minutes later however the Glassboys opened up the Poole defence again to grab a third goal. Billingham played in Fitzpatrick and he advanced through the left channel area before tucking a low shot past Hutchings. Poole kept pushing to try and get something out of the game and on 77 minutes sub Warren Byerley turned to work an opening twenty yards out, but Coleman was equal to his shot. Four minutes later though Gillespie pulled a goal back with a neat finish from the edge of the box into the bottom corner of the net, but on 85 minutes Stourbridge restored their three-goal cushion after Geddes was pulled down by Cann close to the right-hand by-line inside the box to win a penalty and Geddes drilled home from the spot to grab his 11th goal of the campaign – and all of them penalties! Still the drama wasn’t over with Canavan playing the ball inside to Fitzpatrick and his back-heel enabled Geddes to hit a stinging first-time low drive that Hutchings did well to turn aside and Geddes again tested Hutchings with another strike from 20 yards a few minutes later after Rowe had laid the ball back into his path with the keeper getting safely behind this effort. Some sloppy defending two minutes into stoppage time allowed Poole to pull a goal back after both Broadhurst and Bennett unable to clear the ball properly before Ekow Elliott pulled a pass back for Brooks to shoot goal-wards with Gillespie diverting the ball past Coleman for his 2nd goal of the afternoon, but there was still sufficient time for Gary Hackett’s men to grab a 5th goal before the final whistle. A pass from Geddes was missed by Billingham, but he inadvertently set up Fitzpatrick behind him and he struck an angled drive past Hutchings to cap a terrific afternoon for the Glassboys.

Photos from Will Kilpatrick can now be viewed at the following link: http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/32388373_xKmH3F