Glassgirls go seven clear!

Lois Jefferies (pictured above) led the way with a hat-trick – making it five goals in two games – while the energetic Lexie Harrison also marked the occasion with her first goal for the Club.

It was an ideal way to put the disappointment of Lincoln City’s last gasp equaliser on Sunday behind them as Andy Fisher’s team served notice that they have no intention of seeing their Title challenge derailed.

In the midst of a hectic period of matches, including back-to-back midweek fixtures, Fisher shuffled his pack, making five changes from Sunday’s starting eleven, and Stourbridge were a little disjointed as a result in the opening few minutes as Wem opened brightly.

But they soon began to assert their authority, with Fleur Johnson-Derrick off her line quickly to block at Harrison’s feet, and then Glover and Harrison again both going close, before they took the lead on 11 minutes as LYNDSEY GLOVER fired in a free kick from 20 yards that had too much on it for Johnson-Derrick to stop.

Seven minutes later it was 2-0 as Harrison was fouled as she got her shot away, and LOIS JEFFERIES made no mistake from the penalty spot to give Stourbridge a cushion that looked comfortable even at that early stage.

Wem thought differently, however, and when Kim Bebbington saw an effort held comfortably by Preston it was to herald their best spell of the game. Most notably two corners troubled the Glassgirls defence, with first Sophie Heaselgrave clearing a header off the line, and then Bebbington’s near post flick was claimed by Preston at the second grab.

Their increased threat soon subsided, though, and Stour made it three just after the half-hour as LEXIE HARRISON opened her Glassgirls account, firing home after Jefferies had helped on Jess Bate’s deep cross.

From there, Stourbridge relaxed, although they didn’t manage to create too many more chances until the stroke of half time when LOIS JEFFERIES pounced on a loose pass to beat Johnson-Derrick from 20 yards to add a fourth goal.

Jefferies was close to adding a fifth goal immediately after the break, fizzing a low shot wide of goal, but Stourbridge laboured without much reward for a spell thereafter. Glover forced Johnson-Derrick into a good save with her feet, and Zoe Clarke saw a header cleared from under the bar, but it took until the 67th minute to add to the scoring when substitute ALEX NICKLIN spotted Johnson-Derrick fractionally off her line and curled a shot over her from just outside the right-hand edge of the area.

Wem responded, with Pasco sending a rare shot on goal not far wide of the target, but it was Stour who looked much more likely to add to their tally, with Angie Morley shooting wide, and Jefferies volleying over from Bate’s cross, before ALEX NICKLIN pounced to make it six after Jefferies had seen her shot blocked.

But LOIS JEFFERIES would have the final say with her third goal of the night, running onto Clarke’s perfectly weighted through ball to measure her shot to perfection over Johnson-Derrick.

(Photo - Anthony Dunn, Focus Dunn Sports Photography)