Glassgirls Dig Deep to Extend Cup Adventure!

A 2-1 win away to Cambridge City put the Glassgirls into Monday’s Third Round draw, two rounds further than the team has ever gone in previous years.

Esme Moran put Stour ahead early in the first half, and an own goal doubled the lead shortly before the break. But Cambridge hit back midway through the second half, and when Courteney Murphy saw her penalty saved it left a tortuous last twenty minutes to be negotiated.

However, some bodies-on-the-line defending was enough to ensure that Andy Fisher’s squad travelled home in buoyant mood, and the manager was understandably ecstatic with the result.

“It’s hard to believe this run is still going, to be honest! It’s an incredible achievement for a club at our level, and all the girls and the staff deserve immense credit.

“That was a real battle at times, it certainly wasn’t us at our best for a lot of the game, but we showed our resilience again when we needed to. After Derby, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this was another higher-ranked team. They were always going to ask a lot of questions of us.

“To get this far and to do it the way we have says everything about the group yet again. Their commitment and their will to work for each other shines through.

“I thought we were worth the two-goal lead at half time, but maybe that’s a dangerous cushion sometimes. We had chances to extend the lead, their keeper made a fantastic save from Mill, and then Esme hit the bar early in the second half. One of those goes in and it’s probably game over, and then they pull one back and it becomes very edgy.

“That feeling at full time, you’ll never beat that. We had a good ride back, a bit of fun, and now we just want a home draw so we can play in front of our own fans at the War Memorial.”

Stour made a bright start, with no sign of early nerves, but there were few clear openings in the early stages until ESME MORAN put the Glassgirls ahead with 13 minutes played. Millie Rogers corner was helped on by Hannah Fishwick and bundled away to safety, but when Rogers returned the ball into the area it was Moran who climbed highest to thump a header against the City bar, and she was quickest to react and nod home the rebound.

Alex Nicklin headed over from another Rogers corner as Stour looked to press home their advantage, but City began to grow into the game and Amy Reed tested out Amie Preston with their first serious effort on goal, the Glassgirls keeper holding comfortably.

The Glassgirls continued to hold the upper hand for the most part, however, and extended their lead on 35 minutes with a helping hand – or head – from their hosts. Rogers again arrowed a corner in towards the near post where LAUREN TOMLINSON rose and inadvertently diverted the ball past Sarah Hudson, giving the keeper no chance of making a save.

Nicklin drove forward and pulled a shot across goal and wide, but there was a scare for Stourbridge as Reed flashed the ball across the face of Preston’s goal with nobody there to apply the finishing touch, and then with the break approaching Rogers was a whisker away from putting Stour three up as her driven shot from 25 yards looked set to nestle in the bottom corner, but Hudson dived low to her right to pull off an excellent save.

The Glassgirls began the second half as much on the front foot as they had begun the first, and could again have had a third goal as Moran drifted a shot over Hudson which cannoned back off the bar before being cleared, and substitute Courteney Murphy then saw her free kick deflected over when it looked like Hudson might otherwise have been struggling to get across to make the save.

However, Cambridge gradually started to fight their way back into the match as Stour began to show signs of fading slightly. A couple of shots harmlessly off target were warnings that the match was not over, and on 68 minutes those warnings became real as Tomlinson’s low cross from the left was palmed away by Preston and GRACE STANLEY managed to block Sophie Heaselgrave’s attempted clearance in the six-yard box to force the ball over the line.

Stour had the chance to re-establish their two-goal lead moments later, however, as the perpetually energetic Rogers burst into the City box from the left and was felled by a rash challenge. Courteney Murphy took on the responsibility from the spot but Hudson sprung to her right to pull off another fine save.

With the game now stretched there were half chances at both ends. Murphy, Nicklin and Fishwick all found half a yard of space for shots but were closed down by defenders, and Nicklin tried a looping effort from 25 yards that landed on the roof of Hudson’s net, whilst Preston at the other end had to make a number of relatively – if not completely – comfortable saves, and the keeper also needed to be off her line smartly more than once to deal with dangerous through balls.

Stanley’s free kick from within the ‘D’ was blocked for a corner, which Stour managed to deal with, but that apart the hosts couldn’t fashion a clear chance in the closing stages as Stourbridge managed to see out the tie.

Photo - Paul Rose

STOURBRIDGE LINE-UP

Amie Preston, Keren Allen (Jess Bate 45), Sophie Heaselgrave, Macey Turvey, Meg Hadley, Lili-Beth Bown, Alex Nicklin, Esme Moran (Courteney Murphy 53), Hannah Fishwick (Ellie McGovern 85), Millie Rogers, Cheryl Edwards.

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

Ruby Meeson, Niamh Murphy, Louisa Butcher, Gee Thacker