Stourbridge 7 Frome Town 0

.. inside thirty-nine minutes. The first-half was a one-sided affair as we were well on top throughout. The hosts started in determined fashion with Luke Benbow producing a strong run immediately from the kick-off before trying to lift the ball through to Ryan Rowe and although the ball was cut out, it fell to Geddes who drilled his shot over the crossbar. Four minutes later Kyle Haynes slid a pass inside from the right to lay on a chance for Rowe, but his effort was blocked by visiting custodian Darren Chitty. As Stourbridge continued to make most of the running, Geddes went agonisingly close with a 20-yard free-kick over the wall that flew inches wide of Chitty’s right-hand post before the Glassboys grabbed a deserved lead on 15 minutes. Haynes fed Ben Billingham and, twisting and turning past Matt Cowler, he drove to the by-line before laying off a timely short pass to the arriving Geddes who tucked a low shot home past Chitty. Three minutes later a back-heel from Benbow allowed Kayelden Brown the chance to deliver in a low cross from the left-hand side of the area for Rowe, but he delayed his shot and was crowded out and then in the 20th minute Rowe turned smartly just inside the right-hand side of the box but saw his low shot comfortably gathered by Chitty. With 25 minutes played Benbow doubled the Glassboys lead when he collected a pass from Geddes and turned and made a darting run towards the Frome box before unleashing a low 25-yard drive beyond Chitty. Leon Broadhurst almost added another goal four minutes later as Geddes lined him up for a powerful 20-yard drive that flew just past Chitty’s right-hand upright, but Stourbridge did not have long to wait for their next goal. A Benbow back-heel enabled Brown to hold off Josh Ford before driving into the left-hand side of the area where he was bundled over by Ford to win a penalty which Geddes thumped home to put the home side three-up after just 31 minutes. Two minutes later Will Richards combined with Geddes down the left before Benbow screwed a shot wide of the far post from the left-hand edge of the box. The visitors first chance of the night arrived in the 38th minute as a left-wing cross from Aaron Ledgister was flicked on by Ford and fell to Luke Baggridge at the far post, however he scuffed his low shot wide. Soon afterwards at the other end Billingham similarly miscued a shot straight into the arms of Chitty after being picked out by Geddes. Six minutes before the break Geddes completed his hat-trick in fine style. Benbow was half-stopped in his tracks, but Geddes fastened on to the loose ball and struck a crisp low first-time 25-yard shot that found the bottom corner of the net.

Stourbridge remained in the ascendancy after the re-start. On 48 minutes Jamie Oliver wriggled his way through into the left-hand side of the area, but hit his right-foot shot past the far post. Frome responded four minutes later with Ledgister threading a ball through the left channel area to Ben Wood who hit a low shot wide of Coleman’s left-hand upright as he was closed down by the keeper. Instead a minute later the Glassboys made it five with Brown deservedly getting on the score-sheet as he shot home after good work by Geddes and Benbow. In the 55th minute Oliver again went close with a low shot and Rowe should have added a sixth on 61 minutes after Geddes squared the ball across to him from the right-hand side of the area, but somehow he failed to turn the ball over the line with Ford being able to clear the danger. A bad night for Frome got even worse on 66 minutes as Tim Stephenson saw red for an unnecessarily reckless tackle on Benbow close to the corner flag. With ten minutes to go sub Chris Knight latched on to a long ball from Benbow, however his shot was blocked by the legs of Chitty. Two minutes later Wood forced Coleman into a save with his powerful angled shot being turned round his near post by the Glassboys custodian. In the 87th minute Richards added a sixth as he got the final touch to chest the ball over the line following a scramble from a left-wing corner after Chitty failed to collect. Frome should have grabbed a consolation goal when Will Agbo provided a low centre from the left and Wood saw his shot blocked and he then fired the rebound wide. Just before the final whistle Stourbridge completed the scoring with a 7th goal as Oliver powered home a header from Billingham’s right-wing flag-kick.