News & EventsLatest NewsCalendar
Worcester City 1 Stourbridge 3 - Match Report

Worcester City 1 Stourbridge 3 - Match Report

Nigel Gregg2 Aug 2018 - 19:15
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.stourbridgefc.com/

The Glassboys fought back from a goal down to record a 3 - 1 victory over Worcester City on Tuesday evening. (READ ON)

Stourbridge saw a fair amount of the ball and again produced some incisive football, but Worcester carried a threat, particularly in the opening half, when they posed some problems down their left. A raft of second-half substitutions meant that the game petered out somewhat at the end, but it was a useful exercise against a side that play their first competitive game this Saturday when they visit Boldmere in the MFL Premier Division.

For the second game running there was a late change in goal with Niall Maher feeling the effects of an injury, so Raajan Gill started in his place. There were returns too for Darryl Westlake, Aris Christophorou, Jordaan Brown and Luke Benbow, with Brown partnering McCone in the centre of the defence.

The Glassboys survived a scare in the opening minute when City, playing up the slope at the Victoria Ground, opened up the visitors. Jordan Harrison got the better of Westlake before finding Dave Reynolds on the left. His early low cross into the centre led to ex-Stourbridge trialist James Baldwin side-footing a rising shot against the crossbar.

Stourbridge replied four minutes later with Aaron Forde finding Rob Thompson-Brown in the left channel area, however he drilled his shot over. Two minutes later a poor clearance by home stopper Matt Gwynne was collected by Thompson-Brown and he slipped a pass into Kaiman Anderson, but the keeper redeemed himself by making a blocking save from his shot before Jamie Smith cleared the ball for a corner.

The visitors began to assert themselves and on 16 minutes Forde fed Thompson-Brown and he found the run of Greg Mills, who saw his early low shot pushed away by Gwynne at his near post. Two minutes later Anderson won a header, allowing Benbow to get away a shot from 20 yards that flew over and then Anderson dug out a cross from the right for Benbow to get in a header that Gwynne was equal to.

With 23 minutes gone though Stourbridge fell behind. Baldwin appeared to be checked on or around the edge of the box, but amidst some penalty shouts, Kyonn Evans fastened on to the ball and cracked a fine shot beyond the reach of Gill to open the scoring.

Stourbridge sought a quick response. In the 25th minute a deep right-wing corner from Thompson-Brown saw Broadhurst get in a looping header that Gwynne claimed on his line and then Forde disposed Ben Clarke and fed Benbow. He rolled a low centre across the face of the goal, but Joel Caines denied Mills as he nipped in first to touch the ball out for a corner.

In the 32nd minute the Glassboys got back on level terms. Brown won possession in midfield and found Mills who burst down the left before sending over a cross for Benbow to break his pre-season duck with a glancing header that went in off the far post.

Stourbridge threatened again on 39 minutes as Benbow took a quick free-kick to Mills and he was able to twist and turn his way to the edge of the box before rolling a low shot past the far post.

Worcester countered soon afterwards with Baldwin delivering a teasing low cross into the Stourbridge area that had to be cleared out for a corner.

Gary Hackett's men forged in-front with 43 minutes gone after winning a penalty. Some sloppy play by Riley Keasey in the bottom corner played Caines into trouble with Mills nipping in to reach the ball first before being upended by Caines just inside the left hand side of the area. Leon Broadhurst stepped forward and drilled a low spot-kick under Gwynne's body as he dived.

Five minutes after the re-start Broadhurst grabbed his second goal of the night. A left-wing cross from the corner of the box by Mills was met by Broadhurst and although his header was blocked by Gwynne, the midfield stalwart slammed home the rebound.

Jack Duggan and then Brad Birch were introduced with Worcester also making a raft of changes with one eye on their league game on Saturday. McCone went to right-back as a result of Duggan's introduction with Pierpoint later taking over that role.

In the 61st minute Worcester almost pulled a goal back. A poor back header by McCone was short to Gill and Reynolds got to the ball just ahead of the keeper, but poked the ball the wrong side of the post with City claiming he had been nudged by Gill in the process, but their claims went unheeded.

Stuart Pierpoint, Tom Edmonds-Hill and Bradley Reid were then introduced and it was Reid who had a chance on 74 minutes as Forde won the ball before playing in Reid, however his low shot was blocked by the keeper as he narrowed the angle.

Jack Duggan then had a downwards header from an Edmonds-Hill right-wing corner cleared off the line before Worcester pushed again on 87 minutes with Gill called upon to save an angled low shot from Rees Wedderburn.

Att: 192

Team - Gill, Westlake, Christophorou, McCone, Brown, Forde, Anderson, Broadhurst, Benbow, Thompson-Brown, Mills

Subs - Duggan (for Westlake 52 mins), Birch (for Thompson-Brown), Pierpoint (for McCone 66 mins), Edmonds-Hill (for Anderson 71 mins), Reid (for Mills 71 mins)

Stourbridge are back at the Victoria Ground on Saturday afternoon when for their final pre-season friendly they take on Bromsgrove Sporting for the first time at senior level. (kick-off 3 pm). Stourbridge will wear grey and black at Bromsgrove.

Further reading