Bideford AFC 0 Stourbridge 1

..with a 64th minute own goal from Ben Gerring proving to be the only goal of a tight contest in North Devon. This was a positive response by the players in the wake of two tough and tiring encounters against North Ferriby in the previous seven days.

The home side might have taken a first minute lead as Sean Downing laid on a chance for Ashley Yeoman with his low cross from the right, however he hit his shot straight at Dean Coleman. Stourbridge settled down after that early scare though and on 16 minutes Kyle Haynes got forward and played a low right-wing cross into the path of Luke Benbow, but he did not get a clean connection with his shot on goal, hitting the ball into the ground, although home custodian was still forced to make a diving save away to his right to parry the ball away. A good passage of play midway through the opening half almost brought the Glassboys reward in the 34th minute with Nathan Bennett meeting a right-wing corner from Sean Geddes, but his header was saved low down by Oliver. However towards half-time the hosts twice went close. On 38 minutes Luke Benbow had a long range shot blocked and Bideford quickly broke forward in response with Kevin Squire working a one-two with Downing before opening up his body and curling a rising shot against the crossbar from the left-hand side of the box. Five minutes later Yeoman pulled the ball back from the right-hand side of the penalty area for Matty Bye to get away a shot that drew a fine save from Coleman diving down to his right.

After a scrappy start to the second period, a quick counter attack by the visitors in the 57th minute saw Ben Billingham drive forward towards the Bideford box before laying the ball off to Drew Canavan on his left, however Canavan blazed his shot high and wide. The deadlock was broken though after 64 minutes as Canavan spread the ball out to Benbow and from the right-hand side of the area, close to the by-line, he drove a low centre across the face of the six-yard box that Gerring inadvertently turned into his own net. Stourbridge pushed again on 67 minutes with an exquisite diagonal ball from Geddes picking out Canavan and he whipped in a cross from the left that Benbow headed off-target. Bideford hit back though with their best spell of the match. In the 69th minute Stephen Reed chipped a cross towards the left-hand side of the area and sub Owen Howe struck a first-time volley that flashed past Coleman’s left-hand upright. A minute later Downing produced a strong run through the middle before letting fly with a 25-yard effort that was well saved by Coleman diving away to his left and then from the resulting corner, the ball was headed back across goal for Squire to get in a header that drifted wide. The Glassboys held firm after that however and in stoppage time they might have added a second goal as Ryan Rowe played a searching ball looking for the run of Billingham through the left channel area, but Billingham’s strike ran wide of Oliver’s right-hand post.