The Glassboys dropped points at home for only the second time this season as the Staffordshire visitors fought back strongly after the interval to deservedly get back on level terms and in truth they looked the side most likely to find a winner in the latter stages of the contest, but Gary Hackett’s men held out.

Stourbridge made one change in their starting eleven from the match at Kettering with Darryl Westlake taking the place of the injured Aris Christophorou in a straight swap at right-back. Brad Birch returned from injury to be included amongst the substitutes. The visitors, meanwhile, included ex-Glassboys Kristian Green and Chris Lait in their side.

The home side started on the front foot and had much the better of the opening quarter of the game. Inside the opening couple of minutes ex-Tamworth winger Callum Powell laid a pass off to Rob Thompson-Brown and he struck a shot from 25 yards that Jas Singh in the Tamworth goal had to tip over and then a deep left-wing corner from Greg Mills was headed back across goal by Aaron Hayden and Leon Broadhurst sent a close range header against the post.

The Glassboys continued to press with a Thompson-Brown flag-kick from the right only partially cleared by the visitors. Paul McCone, in his 250th game for Stourbridge, headed the ball back to Thompson-Brown and he delivered in a telling cross back into the middle where Hayden headed wide.

Tamworth threatened for the first time with eleven minutes gone. Jordan Gough produced a driving run through the left-hand channel before hitting a shot that was deflected for a corner. Stourbridge replied two minutes later with Jordaan Brown combining with Mills down the left and he sent over a cross that was palmed away by Singh only as far as Powell, however his shot goal-wards was blocked by Fortune Maphosa.

Stourbridge finally made their bright start pay off as they forged in-front in the 16th minute. Aaron Forde provided a cross from the right and as the ball bounced up off the playing surface Mills was on hand at the far post to stoop and get in a header that Singh got a hand to but could not keep out.

Tamworth slowly got back into the game and they carved out an opportunity in the 24th minute as a counter attack saw Jordan Clement provide a through pass into the right channel area that released Cameron Johnson away, however Hayden recovered well to close him down and Johnson’s shot lacked conviction and deflected off Hayden for James Wren to safely collect.

Stourbridge responded soon afterwards with Powell dribbling down the right and then turning a low cross into Benbow. He turned and hit a low shot that was too close to Singh and the keeper made a straightforward save.

Tamworth returned on the attack and won a free-kick on the left. Gough sent the ball into the box where Aman Verma headed straight at Wren.

In the 28th minute the hosts had a let-off as Kristian Green carried the ball forward, but was challenged by Mills. The ball broke towards Chris Lait and he took advantage of a moment’s hesitation to get by McCone and take on Westlake into the box before poking a shot on goal with the outside of his right foot. He beat Wren, however Leon Broadhurst had got back to partially stop the ball rolling straight in, although the recovering Wren still had to get back and dive on the ball to prevent it trickling over the line. Tyrrell Waite then laid a pass across to Clement who screwed a shot over the bar from the edge of the area before the game settled down a little in the lead-up to half-time.

Tamworth’s Waite picked up a caution on 41 minutes with Benbow striking the resulting free-kick over the bar.

HT Stourbridge 1 Tamworth 0

The Lambs were back on level terms within nine minutes of the re-start. Verma squared the ball across to Clement and he produced a slide-rule pass to find Cameron Johnson, who had found a gap between McCone and Powell and the striker finished clinically past Wren, but after celebrating his goal with the Tamworth fans behind the goal he was promptly substituted by the visitors with former Solihull Moors and Grimsby Town striker Akwasi Asante taking his place.

Clement cut inside before driving a shot over in the 57th minute before Stourbridge launched a counter attack two minutes later with Broadhurst feeding Thompson-Brown who advanced before slipping a pass through to Powell and he fired in a low shot from the right-hand side of the box which Singh saved at his near post.

At the other end Lait hit a low curling shot from 20 yards that was gathered by Wren before the home side started to ring the changes. Brad Birch replaced Forde after 61 minutes and Kaiman Anderson was introduced for Benbow eight minutes later in two like-for-like changes.

A quick goal-kick from Singh saw Asante challenge for the ball before Lait fastened on to it and he let fly with a low 25-yard shot that flashed narrowly wide of Wren’s right-hand post and then on 73 minutes Lait collected a throw-in from Gough on the left and again had another pop at goal with Wren collecting his effort at the second attempt.

Cameron Steele came on for Mills after 74 minutes, but none of the substitutions made - enforced or not - appeared to bring about an improvement in the hosts play.

There was a scare for the hosts in the 77th minute when Westlake and Hayden had a clash of heads. After treatment though both players were able to carry on.

Tamworth had a decent chance on 81 minutes on the counter as Lait dribbled the ball forward and then laid a pass off to Waite on the left-hand side of the box. He took on Westlake as he cut inside but struck his shot the wrong side of the near post.

Three minutes into stoppage time Tamworth went close again. A right-wing corner from Lait saw Verma get in a header on target, however Birch was in the right place to block the ball and the final whistle sounded soon afterwards.

Stourbridge - Wren, Hayden, Brown, McCone, Westlake, Forde, Powell, Broadhurst, Benbow, Thompson-Brown, Mills

Subs: Birch (for Forde 61 mins), Anderson (for Benbow 69 mins), Steele (for Mills 74 mins), Pierpoint, Maher (not used)

Att: 643