Four-midable Glassgirls Inch Closer!

Stour had to battle for the result against a Leek side that came into the game on the back of a win against second-placed Doncaster Rovers Belles the previous week, but their quality in front of goal was ultimately the difference.

The win sees Stour go nine points clear of Doncaster at the top of the table, with both teams having five games to play.

Stourbridge were a little slow to settle into the game and it was six minutes in before the first opening as Mill Rogers met Lois Jefferies cross with a shot that Beth Cotterell tipped over, although an offside flag had already been raised.

Leek responded with a shot from Katie Gibbons from distance which failed to trouble Amie Preston, but within a minute Stourbridge were ahead as Hannah Fishwick’s inswinging cross found ALEX NICKLIN all alone to take a touch and slot home.

The goal might have eased any nerves, but if anything it was Leek who seemed unburdened by the setback and the Glassgirls immediately had to endure a couple of scares at the back. Gradually though, they regained their composure and Jefferies was close to adding a second goal on 21 minutes after a flowing move, as she screwed her shot wide of goal.

Hadley got forward again down the left to fire in a shot which Cotterell fumbled, with the loose ball cleared before Jefferies could get to it, and then at the other end Katie Maya fired in a shot which had Preston beaten before thumping off the underside of the bar, down onto the line and out.

A warning shot for Andy Fisher’s team, but they were quickly on the attack again, Rogers unable to get any power into her shot after Jefferies had lifted the ball into her path.

Stour needed a second goal to open up a cushion, and it came four minutes from half time when Nicklin’s perfect pass allowed LEXIE HARRISON time to pick her spot beyond Cotterell.

Leek were in no mood to roll over, however, and they might well have found a way back into the game right at the start of the second half as a long ball caught the Stour defence square, with Preston having to be out of her box smartly to thwart Gibbons.

Rogers headed off target from a Jefferies cross, but again Leek came at Stour with an incisive move ending with Jade Treanor’s shot almost squirming through Preston who was relieved to be able to drop on the ball.

The game became a little scrappy for a while after that, with few chances and a general sense of niggle. A free kick from deep was watched all the way by Preston, although it was closer than it might have appeared to the Stour keeper as it bounced on the top of the crossbar and over, but that was as close as Leek would come and Stour made the game safe with a third goal on 68 minutes, MILL ROGERS in the right place to turn in Fishwick’s low cross from the left.

The Glassgirls controlled proceedings from there. Cotterell clawed away a cross from Jefferies as substitute Niamh Deasy lurked, and then Nicklin flashed a shot just over from the edge of the area, before LOIS JEFFERIES ended any lingering doubt as she ran onto a through ball and fired across Cotterell into the far corner.

It was all Stourbridge now. Amber Lawrence tested Cotterell with a shot from distance which the keeper was equal to, Angie Morley, teed up by Jefferies, saw her shot blocked by an excellent last ditch tackle, Deasy fired wide after Jefferies had unselfishly given her a sight of goal, and then Fishwick’s flicked header set Esme Moran free for a shot into the side-netting as the Glassgirls went in search of a fifth.

It didn’t come, but that didn’t matter as Stour saw the game out to inch their way closer to the goal of promotion.