Party Time for Unstoppable Glassgirls!

In front of a crowd of 333, a record for a League game at the War Memorial Ground, Stour needed just a point to secure the Title, but had to contend with a lively visiting team who were determined to spoil the party, before coming out on top thanks to a goal in each half from Mill Rogers and Lois Jeffries.

The full time whistle brought joyous scenes on and off the pitch, as the Glassgirls celebrated a third consecutive promotion, and a place in the third tier of the Women’s Pyramid next season, and manager Andy Fisher reflected on his feelings at getting the job done.

“It’s just mad, isn’t it?! It only seems like yesterday we were battling away in tier six, having seasons abandoned because of Covid, wondering if we would ever get anywhere, and here we are now!

“I honestly can’t put into words what it all means. This bunch of players, my staff, all the people behind the scenes, the work that everyone has put into it to get us to this point, it’s just remarkable.

“The players deserve so much praise for what they’ve done. We thought we would do ok, you know? Top half we thought was well within our grasp if we could find our feet, but I don’t think anybody realistically thought we could win it first time out.

“And to do it here in front of this crowd today! The support was incredible, we can’t thank everyone enough for getting behind us. We wanted to put on a show, even though we only needed a point it’s never been this team’s mentality to play for a draw or anything like that. We wanted to win it properly.

“Northampton really made it difficult, they had plenty of the game but our defence have been the unsung heroes all season, I don’t think they were going to let anything past them today. And we managed to take a couple of chances when they came.

“We’ve still got two more League games to play, and then the County Cup Final, but once that’s over we’ll have a bit of a break and then we’ll start building for next season. It’s going to be tough, but it’s going to be exciting too. For now though, we just want to savour what we’ve done.”

With so much at stake, there were signs of nerves in the early stages as a little defensive uncertainty almost led to openings for Northampton, but it was Stourbridge who threatened first as Lexie Harrison almost managed to get on the end of Lois Jefferies ball into the box, with Jo Daniel just getting there first to claim.

The visitors served notice of their intent moments later, however, as a corner from the right was allowed to bounce in the six-yard box and both Alex Dicks and Victoria Barrett saw shots blocked before the ball was cleared to safety.

Stour came again, and when Daniel could only parry Alex Nicklin’s shot from 20 yards the ball fell at the feet of Harrison who, on the stretch, wasn’t able to get her shot on target, and Daniel was in action again soon afterwards, blocking Harrison’s effort, although the flag was already up for offside.

Jefferies’ cross on 24 minutes was just a fraction too high for Rogers to meet as Stour began to mount more pressure, and Daniel was again called upon five minutes later, holding onto Jefferies’ header from a Nicklin free kick.

Moments later it was the visitors going close, with the dangerous Jade Bell crossing from a narrow angle, and seeing the ball graze the face of Amie Preston’s crossbar before being cleared by Meg Hadley.

Stourbridge needed a goal to calm the evident nerves, and it came seven minutes from the break. A free kick played in to MILL ROGERS saw the striker hold the ball up well before turning and firing in a shot that seemed to deceive Daniel before striking the inside of the post, rebounding along the goal-line, and then spinning back into the net as both Jefferies and Harrison closed in.

The final action of the half saw Preston come off her line confidently to claim a free kick into the box, and Stour went in at the break with a narrow lead to protect.

Once more the Glassgirls looked a little edgy as the second half kicked off, and it took them a little while to re-find their rhythm as chances failed to materialise at either end until Northampton had the first sight of goal on the hour, as Zoe Boote laid the ball off for Bell to chip in a shot that landed safely on the roof of Preston’s net.

The scare seemed to spur Stour on, and within a minute they might have doubled the lead with Jefferies cross only half cleared to Nicklin who volleyed well over, and then from Hadley’s left wing cross, Jefferies herself directed a header wide of goal.

But the striker was not to be denied, and she put the Glassgirls within sight of the finishing line on 67 minutes as Nicklin floated in a free kick from out on the right which evaded Daniel and allowed LOIS JEFFERIES to make it two.

Kim Farrow’s shot hit the side-netting as Northampton pushed forward from the restart, and then Abbie Brewin forced a save out of Preston, but with Stour now more relaxed they never really looked like relinquishing their grip on both the match and the championship.

Going into the final ten minutes, Dicks saw a shot comfortably fielded by Preston, whilst substitutes Niamh Deasy and Hannah Fishwick combined for Stour with Fishwick lifting the ball over following Deasy’s clever backheel into her path.

Northampton went close again as Bell fired across goal and wide, and then Abbie Reboul headed off target at the far post, but Stourbridge by now were content in the knowledge that the job was done and both the points and that Championship Trophy were safely wrapped up.

(Photograph - Anthony Dunn, Focus Dunn Sports Photography)