SPOT-KICK DRAMA AS GLASSGIRLS PROGRESS

Sutton Coldfield own proved stubborn opponents, as they did last season when the teams battled it out at the top of the West Midlands League, holding the Glassgirls 1-1 at 90 minutes, but Stour converted three of their four spot kicks whilst the Royals could not find the net with any of their three attempts, before Sophie Levick (pictured) fired home the winning spot kick.

Stourbridge held the upper hand for long periods, with Sutton defending obdurately whilst threatening only occasionally on the break. However, what chances Andy Fisher’s team did create largely came and went on a frustrating afternoon.

Things started brightly enough, and the Glassgirls were almost ahead inside the opening minute as debutant striker Lois Jefferies bundled the ball goalwards from Zoe Clarke’s cross, with keeper Lottie McElroy palming the ball away before clinging on to Hannah Fishwick’s follow up.

Jefferies was involved again on 8 minutes, pulling the ball back for her fellow debutant, Lexie Harrison, to fire over, but that apart Stour were finding it hard to create clear chances until Amber Lawrence forced a diving save from McElroy with 22 minutes played, and then Esme Moran flashed a shot narrowly wide a minute later.

Jefferies came closer still on the half hour, surprising everyone bar McElroy with an instinctive effort from 35 yards out, the Sutton keeper doing brilliantly to leap and tip the ball over from under the crossbar, whilst a rare Sutton attacks saw Chloe Finn’s shot aimed straight at Amie Preston.

The final action of the half saw Moran nod home from Lyndsey Glover’s left wing free kick, only for an offside flag to cut short the celebrations.

Four minutes after the interval, Stour’s fortunes took an upward turn, as Jefferies broke into the box, tipping the ball past McElroy as she came off her line, with the keeper’s challenge deemed late enough to merit a spot kick, which NIMAH DEASY – after a stoppage for treatment to Jefferies – buried low to former team-mate McElroy’s right.

Within a couple of minutes Stour might have doubled the lead, and surely secured the game, as Jefferies laid the ball off to Deasy who skimmed the top of the bar with her shot, before Sutton almost pounce on a defensive error, with Sophie Levick’s expertly timed tackle denying Holly Payton the chance to shoot.

But an equaliser did come just before the hour, with Clarke penalised for a close-range handling offence in the box, and RUTH GRAHAM giving Preston no chance from the penalty spot, firing igh to the keeper’s left.

Stour continued to hold the upper hand but with Sutton now back in the tie, the home side redoubled their defensive efforts to repel all the Glassgirls could throw at them. Glover’s first time volley hit the outside of an upright from 15 yards, Deasy glanced a header wide, and McElroy capably dealt with a Glover free kick, whilst Payton fired into Preston’s midriff at the other end.

The Glassgirls were dealt a blow six minutes from time as Harrison saw red for a challenge considered reckless enough to merit dismissal, but Sutton were unable to make the extra player count, and, in truth, it was still Stour who looked more likely to break the deadlock in the remaining minutes.

So penalties it was, and with Stour going first they soon had the advantage as Deasy repeated her success of earlier, whilst Graham could not, hitting the underside of the bar. Glover saw her kick well saved by McElroy to keep Sutton in it, but when Finn’s effort was pushed onto the bar by Preston, followed by Jefferies burying her turn, Stour held all the cards.

Chloe Handy dragged her effort wide, and it was left to Levick – appropriately, another player up against her former club – to drive home the winning spot kick.

Stourbridge will now take on Solihull Sporting in the quarter-finals at the War Memorial Ground on Sunday 19th February.

STOURBRIDGE LINE-UP

Amie Preston, Meg Hadley, Zoe Clarke, Sophie Levick, Sophie Heaselgrave, Amber Lawrence, Esme Moran, Hannah Fishwick, Lyndsey Glover, Lexie Harrison, Lois Jefferies.

[b]SUBSTITUTES (all used)[b]

Jess Bate, Ellie McGovern, Lili-Beth Bown, Angie Morley, Niamh Deasy.