A depleted Workington side produced a resilient showing with the more experienced players such as Gari Rowntree and Dan Wordsworth defending solidly and providing leadership to their younger players, while Steve Rigg led the line well throughout for the visitors.

Gary Hackett made just one change to the Glassboys starting line-up from Saturday’s 4 – 1 home win over Stalybridge Celtic with Aaron Forde returning from injury in place of Tom Tonks.

However the hosts got off to a poor start as they fell behind from the first corner of the game with three minutes gone. Rigg was not picked up properly at the far post and he headed home from Rob Wilson’s deep right-wing flag-kick.

Three minutes later the Cumbrians were forced into an early change as Wilson hobbled off to be replaced by teenager Joseph Hetherington.

Stourbridge began to threaten more in the final third. In the 13th minute a right-wing corner from Chris Gallagher was met by Paul McCone with a downward header but Aaron Taylor saved easily and then two minutes later Gallagher played a pass across to Nicu Carnat who saw his first shot blocked by a defender before he struck his second effort over.

With 26 minutes gone the Glassboys got back on level terms as Gallagher touched the ball through into the path of Brad Birch who drilled his shot past Taylor from the right-hand side of the area.

Stourbridge struggled to make much head-way in the lead to half-time with Benbow largely subdued, although a better move on 39 minutes down the right involving Birch and Westlake led to Broadhurst sending a shot just the wrong side of the post.

Two minutes after the re-start Dan Wordsworth was penalised for a handball outside of the box and Benbow stepped up to find the net with one of his trademark free-kicks to give Stourbridge the lead. At this stage the home side might have been expected to go on to victory in the circumstances, but a lack of concentration saw Workington hit back within two minutes. Jordan Holt was the provider, turning the ball inside for Leo Holliday to get a low shot away that with the aid of a deflection took it past Gould as it crept inside his left-hand post.

Stourbridge tried to respond, but Benbow was unable to direct a header on target from Gallagher’s right-wing flag-kick.

The visitors then went close through Brown as the home side began to ring the changes with one eye on Wednesday’s cup semi-final with Hague, Tonks and Shearer replacing Pierpoint, Forde and Broadhurst within the space of seven minutes. The changes also prompted a change of formation, however the substitutions failed to provide a fresh impetus and the Glassboys rather lost their direction. Instead Workington gained a growing belief that the game was there for the taking.

With eight minutes remaining the hosts were opened up at the back and Westlake dived in to make a last gasp block tackle on Sam Smith, but as the ball bobbled up and Smith looked to capitalise, he was tripped up this time by Westlake to hand Rigg the chance to put the away side ahead and he made no mistake from the penalty spot to make it 3 – 2.

There was no way back for Stourbridge after that as Workington successfully saw out the remaining time without coming under undue pressure and they leapt above the Glassboys in the league table as a result.

Stourbridge Gould, Westlake, Christophorou, McCone, Pierpoint (Hague, 65), Forde (Tonks, 67), Birch, Broadhurst (Shearer, 72), Benbow, Gallagher, Carnat. Substitutes – Cooke, Evans (not used).

Workington Taylor, Douglas, Rowntree, Wordsworth, Smith, Mellen, Brown, Wilson (Hetherington, 6), Rigg, Holt, Holliday. Substitutes – Harker, Andrews (not used).

Bookings for Stourbridge: McCone, Birch