The Glassboys extended their lead at the top of the table with a keenly contested win over Coalville Town as Kettering fell to defeat at Banbury at the same time.

In tricky cold, wet and blustery conditions, the two sides served up an entertaining encounter that swung one way and then the other. The weather was in stark contrast to that faced back in late August at Coalville when the Ravens were 6 – 4 winners, but once again this latest meeting soon developed into an open contest with both defences stretched.

Gary Hackett made three changes to his starting eleven from the Banbury game the previous Tuesday with Jordaan Brown returning from injury and Darryl Westlake and Leon Broadhurst also included from the off. This trio replaced Stuart Pierpoint, Brad Birch and Aris Christophorou who were all named amongst the substitutes.

The game was only a couple of minutes old when Coalville struck the first blow when a low volley from the edge of the box by Andrew Wright beat James Wren. The Leicestershire visitors continued to make the running in the early stages with Wright having another shot blocked before the home side threatened for the first time in the 9th minute with a Greg Mills shot deflecting off the head of a Coalville defender for a corner.

The Glassboys went close on 16 minutes when an outswinging right-wing corner from Thompson-Brown was headed goal-wards by Paul McCone and Luke Benbow lifted the ball and tried an audacious overhead-kick that flew past Richard Walton’s right-hand upright. Four minutes later Callum Powell fed a pass inside to Leon Broadhurst who side-stepped two defenders but scuffed his low shot wide.

Stourbridge got back on level terms just before the half-hour mark after being awarded a soft penalty after Mills went down in the left-hand side of the box under a challenge from Kalern Thomas. Mills picked himself up to stroke home the spot-kick for his 17th goal of the season.

Gary Hackett’s men ended the half in the ascendancy. In the 34th minute Powell delivered in a cross from the right and Broadhurst saw his header drift off-target and then a minute later Mills dug out a low cross from the left and Benbow turned and hit a shot that was blocked by the legs of Walton. Three minutes later Benbow was again denied by Walton with the keeper saving his angled shot from the right-hand side of the area after receiving a ball into his feet from Powell. Five minutes before the interval Thompson-Brown whipped an inswinging free-kick from the left that appeared to be bundled in by Broadhurst at the far post, however the assistant’s flag for offside meant that the scores remained level.

HT Stourbridge 1 Coalville Town 1

Andrew Wright dragged a shot wide for the visitors soon after the re-start, however this time it was Stourbridge who struck early in the half as the hosts forged in-front in the 48th minute. A shot from Mills was parried by Walton and Broadhurst was in the right place to nod in the rebound.

Coalville refused to lie down and responded in positive fashion with a good spell of their own. In the 52nd minute the Glassboys struggled to clear the ball out of harms way and Joe Doyle-Charles was able to fire in a long range shot that Wren saved down to his right. Four minutes later Tom McGlinchey threaded an angled pass into Luke Shaw on the right-hand side of the box and his shot was blocked by Wren for a corner. With 58 minutes played though Coalville restored parity. McGlinchey did well down the left and provided a cross into the near post area where Shaw sent a deft header beyond the reach of Wren.

The Ravens then had the chance to take the lead in the 61st minute when Tim Berridge split the home defence to put Kairo Mitchell one-on-one with Wren, however his tame shot was easily saved by Wren.

A minute later Stourbridge made their first change with Brad Birch sent on in place of Thompson-Brown in order to stiffen up the midfield and then on 65 minutes the Glassboys got their noses back in-front. Mills was fouled outside the box and Benbow came up with one of his free-kick ‘specials’ – a dipping effort over the wall and past the outstretched Walton into the top corner of the net.

Leon Broadhurst grabbed his second goal of the afternoon ten minutes later to give Gary Hackett’s men a two-goal cushion. A left-wing corner from Mills bounced through to the Stourbridge midfielder at the far post and he converted on the half-volley.

Coalville kept going with Wren called upon to save at the feet of Mitchell following a diagonal pass from Shaw.

Both sides rang the changes for the last ten minutes with the home side sending on Anderson and Christophorou in place of Mills and Brown to provide fresh legs and try and shore things up.

Coalville continued to push in search of a goal but Wren kept out a shot from Berridge and then sub Dan Creaney almost capitalised on a miscued header from Hayden with five minutes remaining as he shrugged off Christophorou before seeing his shot blocked by Wren at close quarters who had been alive to the danger.

In the first minute of stoppage time Stourbridge almost made it five with Forde finding Benbow and he turned and worked room for a 20-yard shot that was tipped over by Walton.

Stourbridge: Wren, Hayden, Brown (Christophorou 80), McCone, Westlake, Forde, Powell, Broadhurst, Benbow, Thompson-Brown (Birch 63), Mills (Anderson 80).

Unused subs: Pierpoint, Maher.