Glassgirls Hit Sweet Sixteen!

There were hat tricks for both Lois Jefferies and Niamh Deasy, with no fewer than eight players on the scoresheet as the Glassgirls dominated from start to finish.

The win sees Stour go seven points clear at the top of the table, although with the FAWNL Plate Final taking centre stage this weekend, that lead may well be cut once again.

The result confirmed Long Eaton’s relegation, but, to their credit, the home side showed plenty of heart and character throughout the game, and while the scoreline can’t be disguised it did not reflect the effort Long Eaton put in.

Stour began quickly and could have been ahead inside the first minute as Lexie Harrison saw her half-hit shot well saved by Laura Setchfield in the home goal. It was to be a busy night for Setchfield, although it took the Glassgirls a little while after that early chance to find their cohesion in the opening ten minutes.

The floodgates had to open eventually, however, and it was ALEX NICKLIN who sets the scoring in motion as she latched onto Harrison’s loose ball to fire hope from ten yards, and five minutes later the lead was doubled when Mill Rogers saw Setchfield parry her shot into the path of LOIS JEFFERIES for a simple finish.

Niamh Deasy had already fired just wide, and was then denied by a brilliant save from Setchfield, while the keeper was forced into action again to palm over Harrison’s shot, before MILL ROGERS made it three with a tidy finish from Deasy’s set up.

The fourth came on 27 minutes through MILL ROGERS again, turning the ball home after Jefferies had lifted in a cross from the right, before Deasy went close twice in quick succession, bringing a brilliant close range save from Setchfield and then thumping the crossbar from the edge of the area.

There was no let-up from Stour now, with wave after wave of attack, and LEXIE HARRISON made it five shortly after the half hour, her left foot shot from Deasy’s pass making it 100 in all competitions for the Glassgirls this season.

A flying save from Setchfield kept Ellie McGovern’s 20 yard effort out, but she was fighting a losing battle as two goals in two minutes from LOIS JEFFERIES added to Stour’s tally, first firing into the roof of the net after a corner had made its way through to her at the far post, and then pouncing to fire home after Setchfield had yet again foiled Deasy with another fine stop.

Within seconds, however, Long Eaton had a goal back as Amie Preston’s attempted clearance was charged down and rebounded into the net, ending the scoring for the half, although there was inevitably still time for Setchfield to thwart the luckless Deasy yet again before the half time whistle.

With three changes at the break, the Glassgirls’ fresh legs were quickly at work, and two of those subs combined to make it eight on 50 minutes as ESME MORAN headed home from Lyndsey Glover’s cross, before LOIS JEFFERIES made it 9-1 a minute later with another header, this time Deasy the provider from the left.

The goal of the night on 56 minutes from ELLIE McGOVERN SAW Stour reach double figures, her curling left foot shot from 20 yards finding the very top corner, before AMBER LAWRENCE got in on the act as her 25-yard shot seemed to take Setchfield a little by surprise, and then LEXIE HARRISON fired home the twelfth at the second attempt from Jefferies’ pull back, despite Setchfield blocking her first effort

With 20 minutes to play at last it was NIAMH DEASY’s turn to get on the scoresheet, taking all her earlier frustrations out as she hammered the ball home from 15 yards, and she then doubled her tally as she finished off a flowing move involving Lawrence and Deasy.

Not content with that, NIAMH DEASY completed a 12-minute hat-trick with a close range header from Jefferies’ cross, and the final goal fell to AMBER LAWRENCE as she ran on to a through ball, touching it past Setchfield before finishing calmly into the empty net.

There was still time for Setchfield, who impressed throughout, to produce two more fine saves from Jefferies and Deasy before the whistle as Stourbridge cruised through to full time.