Glassgirls Almost There!

Mill Rogers put Stourbridge ahead midway through the first half but the visitors drew level just before the break from the penalty spot, before a second half double from Lois Jefferies saw Stour come out on top.

The win means the Glassgirls lead the table by 12 points from second-placed Doncaster Rovers Belles, who only have four games to play. Stour also boast a goal difference superiority of close to 50, so it would take a freak combination of results now to see them knocked off their perch.

Andy Fisher’s side has led the table ever since a 4-0 win at Sporting Khalsa way back on 31st August, and they were in no mood to see that change on a mild War Memorial Ground afternoon against the only team to have beaten them in the League this season, way back on the opening day.

An early Hannah Fishwick free kick was headed goalwards by Rogers with Lia Kellogg claiming comfortably, as Stour looked to press forward from the off. They weren’t having things all their own way however, and Amie Preston had to be alert more than once to deal with through balls in the early stages.

The best chance of the opening twenty minutes fell to Rogers again, as Jefferies set her up for a shot that stung the palms of Kellogg from no more than 10 yards, and when the resulting corner was only half cleared the ball dropped for Lexie Harrison to fire not far over, while at the other end there was a warning shot as Ellie May lifted the ball over the bar at the near post from Caitlyn Douglas’s cross.

Jefferies tried her luck from 25 yards, although the ball was always heading wide, but a minute later the deadlock was broken as Meg Hadley battled for the ball down the left, cutting it back for Jefferies who saw her fierce shot parried by Kellogg into the path of MILL ROGERS who made no mistake.

Stacey Buxton’s instinctive effort for the visitors sailed well off target, but it was the Glassgirls who ended the half the stronger of the two teams. Rogers first nicked the ball past the onrushing Kellogg, who was relived to see a covering defender mop up the danger, and then went for curling effort that the keeper always had covered, before Ellie McGovern fired just wide from Fishwick’s free kick, played short to her.

Stourbridge were made to pay for not taking those chances on the stroke of half time, as a tug by Sophie Levick led to a penalty converted by Brooke Smith, the ball bouncing down off the crossbar and then up into the roof of the net.

The blow didn’t seems to put Stour off their stride as they began the second half with intent, and within three minutes they were back in the lead. Having been brought down in the box by Smith, LOIS JEFFERIES repeated her heroics of Thursday night, placing the ball calmly low to Kellogg’s right.

The Glassgirls pushed again, Fishwick releasing Rogers for a shot that wasn’t far over from a tight angle, although Sheffield were close themselves when Buxton’s shot on the turn dropped wide of goal.

With the visitors always looking lively if given the chance to break, Stourbridge needed a cushion. Rogers almost provided it, as Kellogg was forced to claw away her cross but from Sophie Levick’s corner that followed she was beaten by an expertly placed header from LOIS JEFFERIES into the top right corner of the net.

Sheffield never really looked like coming back again, although Moriah McIntosh could have induced some jitters when she shot straight at Preston from a good position with 20 minutes still to play. A goal at that stage and Stour may have found things difficult. Likewise when Millie Fugler stabbed her shot wide when left in space from a corner.

But for the most part it was Stourbridge who looked more likely to add to their tally. Hadley cut inside and saw her well-hit shot held by Kellogg, and substitute Lyndsey Glover‘s cross just evaded Niamh Deasy’s head at the far post, but by now the result was beyond much doubt, and so too, surely, is the destination of the Title.

(Photo - Anthony Dunn, Focus Dunn Sports Photography)