Party Time for Fishwick in Glassgirls Goal Rush!

Alex Nicklin and Miller Rogers contributed two each in an emphatic display which extends the winning run to 20 League matches stretching back more than two years!

But the afternoon ended on a downbeat as winger Gee Thacker fell awkwardly following an innocuous challenge and was taken to hospital as hopefully no more than a precaution.

The early stages were relatively even, but it was the Glassgirls who drew first blood when HANNAH FISHWICK (pictured) pounced on a defensive error before arrowing a shot over the Lye keeper from 25 yards, and from there Stour never looked back.

It took another fifteen minutes to double the lead, when ALEX NICKLIN headed in Carly Aldred’s cross from the left, but only four more minutes after that to add a third, as MILLIE ROGERS took on her marker and drilled a shot into the far corner.

Lye’s keeper produced excellent saves to deny Nicklin and Rogers, but in between the visitors gave Stour a scare with a shot that came back of the inside of Amie Preston’s right-hand post.

A glut of goals arrived just before the break, kicked off by GEE THACKER whose thunderous shot gave the keeper no chance. Lye then pulled one back with a tidy finish from a low right-wing cross, but that only stung the Glassgirls into further action as first FISHWICK picked her spot from Thacker’s pull back, and then Aldred’s cross was turned in from close range at the far post.

With a commanding 6-1 interval lead, Stour continued to pile on the pressure. NICKLIN added a seventh, tapping in after Cheryl Edwards saw her shot parried, and then ROGERS converted Nicklin’s low cross following a great run into the box from the left.

It was left to FISHWICK to round things off with two more fine finishes, first curling a shot beyond the keeper after more excellent work by Aldred, and then running onto Ruby Meeson's ball over the Lye defence and slotting in from 15 yards.

Thacker almost added an eleventh goal when her effort clipped the top of the bar, but her game ended earlier through injury moments later. All at Stourbridge Ladies wish her well for a speedy recovery.

“That was as good a performance as we’ve turned in for a long time,” said manager Andy Fisher after the game. “We’ve had spells in the first two games where we were second best and we’ve had to dig in, but that was a real 90-minute display.

“This is going to be a long season, teams are going to take points off each other left, right and centre, so to make the start we have is very pleasing.

“Hannah was exceptional, her touch, her movement, her reading of the game. And every one of her goals was such a composed finish. She’s added so much to the mix already”

The Glassgirls travel to Redditch United next Sunday (2pm kick-off at the Valley Stadium), before welcoming Kidderminster Harriers to the War Memorial Ground in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup on Sunday 3rd October.

(Photo courtesy of Paul Rose Photography)