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Stourbridge 1 St Neots Town 0 - Match Report

Stourbridge 1 St Neots Town 0 - Match Report

Nigel Gregg17 Feb 2019 - 21:23
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An early strike from Greg Mills enabled Stourbridge to claim a third home victory in just over a week. (READ ON)

STOURBRIDGE 1 ST NEOTS TOWN 0

An early strike from Greg Mills enabled Stourbridge to claim a third home victory in just over a week as the Glassboys wrapped up a league double over the Cambridgeshire outfit.

But this was a ragged display from Gary Hackett’s men who failed to build on the boost of grabbing a third minute lead and had to survive a couple of anxious moments late on as the plucky, but rather limited in an attacking sense, young and inexperienced visitors grew in belief.

James Wren, Paul McCone, Leon Broadhurst, Aaron Forde and Aris Christophorou were restored to the starting line-up for this game, while Brad Birch retained his place after a good showing against Halesowen with Thompson-Brown moved to a wider role. Luke Benbow was named for his 250th appearance for the club.

St Neots fielded just three players who had started the reverse league fixture at the start of December as a result of their recent budget cuts with goalkeeper Finley Iron, defender Matty Miles and attacker Gary Wharton the men in question to have remained with the Saints.

Stourbridge were soon on top and forged ahead from their first real attack with three minutes gone. The home side attacked down the right and Aaron Forde supplied a cross towards Greg Mills who was able to use his neat first touch to cleverly bring the ball inside before shooting home past Iron.

That should have been a platform for the hosts to kick on, but whilst the Glassboys continued to enjoy a good amount of possession and control on proceedings, their play was riddled with unforced errors.

In the 14th minute some better play saw Benbow link up with Forde, however after an exchange of passes he drilled his shot well over. St Neots replied a minute later, but a weak 20-yard shot from Scott Pollock rolled harmlessly wide and then shortly afterwards a loose pass from Aris Christophorou was seized upon by Gary Wharton and he hit an early 30-yard shot that went wide of James Wren’s right-hand post.

The visitors continued to compete well but Stourbridge almost capitalised on a mistake on the half-hour mark. Forde cut out a pass and the ball broke kindly towards Thompson-Brown and he struck a long-range effort over the bar. Six minutes later Leon Broadhurst sprayed a pass out to wide to Mills on the left. He took on his marker and whipped in a dangerous low centre across the face of the goal that just evaded the stretching Broadhurst at the far post.

Stourbridge went close again three minutes before the interval. Forde combined with Thompson-Brown, but after taking a return pass he could only push his low shot past Iron’s left-hand upright.

Half-time – Stourbridge 1 St Neots Town 0

Stourbridge elected to make a change at the break with Yafai replacing Birch for the re-start.

There was more zip initially about the home side’s play early in the second period and the Saints had keeper Iron to thank for keeping the Glassboys out during their best spell of the contest.

He parried a drive from Yafai round the post for a corner in the opening exchanges of the half and then in the 51st minute Thompson-Brown supplied a cross from the right channel area and Broadhurst got up for a header that was acrobatically saved by the diving Iron away to his left.

With 57 minutes gone a goal-kick from Wren was collected by Benbow and he touched the ball inside for Forde, who worked room for a low shot that had Iron beaten this time, however the ball hit the inside of Iron’s right-hand post and stayed out before Benbow wildly lashed the rebound well off-target from a tight angle.

Two minutes later a free-kick from Wren was controlled by Benbow and he turned and hit a low shot that may have taken a slight deflection, but Iron safely held his effort.

Callum Powell was introduced in place of Thompson-Brown with an hour gone, but the Glassboys began to lose their impetus, although Benbow wasn’t far away on 67 minutes when his low curling angled shot from the left-hand side of the box flew just past the far post.

Five minutes later though Benbow’s afternoon was cut short as he appeared to pick up a groin injury. He was duly replaced by Kaiman Anderson.

In the 77th minute Brown took a throw-in on the left and looked for Anderson on the edge of the box. He managed to hit a shot on the turn, which Iron was equal to.

Having been unable to extend their slender advantage, Stourbridge then survived a sticky last ten minutes or so where they seemed to get caught in two minds as to whether to ‘game manage’ the closing stages and defend their lead or continue to pursue a second goal. The visitors had, in the meantime, battled away to stay in the match, and they began to fancy their chances of snatching a late equaliser.

In the 84th minute Leon Broadhurst picked up a yellow card for tripping sub Joe Sutton just outside the box and the resulting 25-yard free-kick from Jordan Norville-Williams, their best outfield player on the day, curled inches over the bar and landed on the roof of the net.

As the match prepared to enter added time the Saints were again a matter of inches away from converting as Pollock turned the ball across and Sutton was just unable to get a touch in the centre.

Stourbridge - Wren, Hayden, Brown, McCone, Christophorou, Forde, Birch, Broadhurst, Benbow, Thompson-Brown, Mills

Subs - Yafai (for Birch H-T), Powell (for Thompson-Brown 60 mins), Anderson (for Benbow 72 mins), Pierpoint, Westlake (not used)

Booked - Broadhurst

Att - 596

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