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Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Stourbridge 4

Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Stourbridge 4

Nigel Gregg29 Jul 2018 - 17:37
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The Glassboys enjoyed their fourth pre-season victory in the space of eight days with a 4 - 0 win at Coles Lane. (READ ON)

REPORT -

(Apologies - Sutton line-up not provided)

The Stourbridge back-line had a makeshift look about it because of injury and unavailability with Aaron Forde and Brad Birch filling the full-back berths. Jake Evans was handed another opportunity in the centre of midfield, while Trialist J featured again after getting on the score-sheet at Bewdley two days earlier.

In autumnal-like conditions Gary Hackett's men produced some good football at times and they proved to be more clinical in front of goal than the hosts. The final score-line was harsh on the home side, who were denied on more than one occasion by Raajan Gill in the Stourbridge goal.

Attacking down the slope, Rob Thompson-Brown had the first shot on goal in the opening minute, but his low shot was saved by Lewis Gwilliams.

Sutton responded seven minutes later with their livewire no. 7 (Letford?) firing in a shot that Gill saved and they went even closer on 13 minutes when a close range effort from Jordan Nadat was scrambled off the line.

Two minutes later Evans and Anderson combined well, exchanging passes before Greg Mills curled a low shot narrowly wide from 20 yards.

With 21 minutes gone Leon Broadhurst put the Glassboys ahead. A precise through ball from Evans played in Broadhurst on the left-hand side of the box and he was allowed the time to drill home a left-foot shot.

Sutton responded with Nadat beating the offside trap and then breaking into the side of the box, however his angled low shot was saved by Gill at his near post.

With half-an-hour played Thompson-Brown played a diagonal pass to Birch who laid the ball back into the path of Evans. He took on his marker but couldn't keep his shot down and it flew over.

Seven minutes later Thompson-Brown tested the home keeper with an awkward low 25-yard free-kick that he pushed around the post.

As half-time approached Thompson-Brown fed Birch who in-turn touched the ball into Mills. He slipped a pass into Trialist J on the left-hand side of the area, who deceived his marker with a clever turn, only to send his low shot off-target.

In stoppage time Mills jinked to make room for a 20-yard shot that was stopped by the keeper down to his left.

HT Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Stourbridge 1

Jack Duggan replaced Pierpoint for the start of the second period.

In the 48th minute the Sutton no. 7 made space to crack in a driven effort that Gill parried down in-front of his body and the same player threatened again on 53 minutes as he got away from Duggan and then looked to open up his body for a placed finish, however Gill saved well low to his right.

At the other end Anderson was thwarted by a tip-over save by the keeper and then from a right-wing cross from Mills, Duggan got in a far post header that clipped the bar.

In the 56th minute Thompson-Brown doubled the lead with a 20-yard free-kick that flashed past the keeper.

Stourbridge introduced James Timmins and Bradley Reid in quick succession in place of Evans and Trialist J, enabling Forde to push into midfield.

In the 63rd minute the Sutton no. 7 had another chance as he advanced into the right-hand side of the box, however he sent his shot over the bar.

After 69 minutes Stourbridge added a third with Forde having a hand in the move as Thompson-Brown's low cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by the Sutton no. 6.

Stourbridge were now carving open the hosts on a regular basis and on 73 minutes Broadhurst put Mills in, but his low shot from the left-hand side of the box was touched past the post by the keeper.

Three minutes later Mills did get his name on the score-sheet. Broadhurst split the home defence with a diagonal pass and Mills opened up his body before coolly burying the ball away to make it 4 - 0.

Sutton refused to lie down completely, however, with Gill making two saves in the closing stages.

The dying moments saw Stourbridge twice go close to a fifth goal. Broadhurst released Reid through the right-hand channel and then continued his run into the box. Reid provided a centre across the face of the goal, but the midfield stalwart missed his kick in-front of goal.

Shortly afterwards Mills had a low shot blocked by the keeper before the referee called time on the action.

Team - Gill, Forde, Birch, McCone, Pierpoint, Evans, Trialist J, Broadhurst, Anderson, Thompson-Brown, Mills

Subs - Duggan (for Pierpoint HT), Timmins (for Evans 58 mins), Reid (for Trialist J 62 mins), Adey-Linforth (for Birch 78 mins), Brown (not used)

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