Glassgirls Battle to Quarter-Final Win!

Niamh Deasy’s strike mid-way through the second half was enough to edge Andy Fisher’s side past strong opposition to set up a home semi-final against Tier 3 Crawley Wasps.

It was a match that saw goalmouth action at both ends – more of it in Stourbridge’s penalty area than Hull’s, truth be told – but Amie Preston proved equal to just about anything the Tigresses could throw at her, with the defence also outstanding in repelling a wave of attacks in the closing stages.

A tough challenge was always expected from a Hull side with two wins and two clean sheets under their belts since the Christmas break, but Stour might have had a lead as early as the third minute, when Sophie Levick’s through ball found Amber Lawrence in space, but she could only place her shot wide of the post.

Hull hit back, with Preston forced to palm away a shot from Katie Thompson, and then Sophie Heaselgrave doing brilliantly to head Helen Lynskey’s fierce shot off the line as the Glassgirls’ defence came under pressure.

But it was Stourbridge who drew first blood as Meg Hadley’s free kick was cleared, but not far enough to prevent Hannah Fishwick lifting the ball back into the box where ALEX NICKLIN was able to finish low past Chelsea Coles.

The lead stayed intact for just three minutes, however, as Hull broke quickly on the left through Hope Knight, with Preston only able to parry her shot into the path of LAURA BARTUP who drilled the loose ball home from 10 yards.

On a difficult pitch, and in a blustery wind, play became a little frantic for a while, with neither team able to gain real control, although Deasy went close with a shot blocked at the near post, while Preston was happy to watch a header go just wide of her right-hand post from a Hull corner. The final notable action of the half, meanwhile, saw Deasy stretch out a leg but unable to get enough of a connection to trouble Coles.

The home side came out after the break with some purpose, and Preston had to be at her very best to claw away a header from Bartup that looked bound for the top corner, before dealing more comfortably with a hooked shot from the same player.

Substitute Lyndsey Glover fired a free kick not far over just after the hour mark, but it was the familiar figure of NIAMH DEASY (pictured above) who got what proved to be the decisive goal on 68 minutes. Lawrence battled for the ball on the edge of the area, driving into the box before squaring for Deasy who had found space to blast her shot past Coles on the volley.

Deasy shot over four minutes later but inevitably it was the home side pushing forward more and more looking for a route back into the game, and with Fisher making changes to shore up his side’s lead, the action was increasingly centred on one end of the pitch.

Hull continually threatened from set-pieces especially, and from one of them Bartup must have thought she had levelled things up only for Preston again to thwart her with another instinctive save, Levick blocking the follow up to ensure the danger was cleared, whilst another free kick from the left found it’s way through the far post where an onrushing Hull player could only find the side-netting.

For all their pressure, though, Hull couldn’t find that elusive goal to take the game into extra time, and it is Stourbridge who will take their place in that semi-final tie.

(Photo - Anthony Dunn, Focus Dunn Sports Photography)