Glassgirls Win Battle of the Top Two!

Second half goals from Mil Rogers (pictured above) and Alex Nicklin proved enough to seal the win against Stour’s closest challengers, ad saw them move three points clear with a game in hand at the top of the FAWNL Division 1 Midlands table.

A cagey first half saw few chances at either end, but Stourbridge gradually upped their game after the break and Belles could find no answer.

With both teams wary of leaving themselves exposed, the game took a while to get going, although Hannah Fishwick was almost presented with a golden opportunity on a plate in the 7th minute as a lapse in distribution from Ellie Sharpe saw the Stour striker in on goal, with Sharpe redeeming herself with an excellent low save.

Sharpe had to get down again to save from Rogers on 12 minutes, but that was the last Stour saw of goal for a while as Belles began to get into the game. Holly Housley saw a shot blocked behind for a corner, which the Glassgirls dealt with, and a hopefully effort from Molly Barlow sailed well off target, but that was all the opening half hour offered in front of a healthy attendance of 245.

Stourbridge had been lacking a little cohesion, but they came close on 33 minutes as Niamh Deasy’s free kick passed close by Sharpe’s right-hand upright, and then Zoe Clarke’s header from Sophie Levick’s corner looped up and onto the roof of the net, but the break came with the deadlock still intact.

Doncaster came out with some vigour after the interval, and for a few minutes the Glassgirls were pinned back, struggling to clear their lines, so it was perhaps a little against the run of play when the first goal came in the Glassgirls’ favour. MIL ROGERS, on her own just outside the penalty area, surprised everyone – not least Sharpe – with a sumptuous chip that seemed to hang in the air as it floated over the keeper and rippled the net.

The visitors strived for a route back into the game, but couldn’t make much headway and rarely managed to give Preston anything to worry about. Sophie Scargill rose highest on 65 minutes to glance a header well wide of the far post from a left wing cross, but that was about as good as it got, whilst at the other end Deasy’s header from another Levick corner went harmlessly over.

But Stour found that all-important second goal with 72 minutes played. Hannah Fishwick was allowed too much time on the ball in midfield, and she used it wisely, picking out Deasy in the penalty area, and when her attempt on goal touch a slight deflection off her marker, the ball fell nicely into the path of ALEX NICKLIN to slot it away.

The Glassgirls never really looked like surrendering their two-goal advantage. Substitute Abi Coley had a crack from a long way out with a lob that Preston had no trouble gathering, and one scramble in the area ended with Sophie Heaselgrave happy to bundle the ball behind for a corner which led to a header from Jess Andrew which Preston again held, but that apart Stourbridge saw the game out with little alarm.

(Photo - Anthony Dunn, Focus Dunn Sports Photography)