Sutton Inflict First Defeat on Glassgirls

The Glassgirls had more of the game throughout but were made to pay for not making the most of a first half display in which they came close on a number of occasions. The visitors hit them with a goal on the break shortly before the interval from Sophie Levick, who then a second right at the start of the second half, leaving Andy Fisher’s team with an uphill task which got even harder when Levick completed her hat trick just after the hour.

The loss was Stourbridge’s first in a League fixture since April 2019, and brought to an end a winning run of 21 League matches.

Stour began on the front foot and might have been ahead within the opening minute as Gee Thacker’s cross found Carly Aldred at the far post, only for the striker to blaze over. But there was a warning straight away at the other end as Amie Preston beat away Niamh Deasy’s shot from the edge of the area with the loose ball fired into the side-netting.

The Glassgirls settled into their game and came close again on 14 minutes as Thacker nipped in to turn Niamh Murphy’s effort goalwards, with Lottie McElroy coming off her line to block.

Patient play from Millie Rogers and Aldred set up Murphy for another effort on goal which sailed wide, and Stour began to turn the screw as the half neared its conclusion.

First Alex Nicklin fired over with a left-foot effort from Rogers’ cut back, then Hannah Fishwick saw her poked shot well saved by McElroy low down at her near post. Sutton threatened with a shot well wide of Preston’s goal, but the Glassgirls hit back with Jess Bate’s piledriver coming back off the post and then Fishwick’s free kick floating narrowly wide.

But Stour were made to pay right at the end of the half as a break down the left saw the ball switched across to LEVICK on the right flank who cut back inside and, with neither Macey Turvey or Sophie Heaselgrave able to clear the danger, rifled a shot inside Preston’s near post.

Trailing for the first time this season, the Glassgirls soon found themselves further behind as a deep free kick was misjudged by the home defence allowing LEVICK to nip in behind and head past Preston, despite the Stour keeper getting a hand to the ball.

Aldred might have halved the arrears almost immediately, riding two challenges only to fire straight at McElroy, but thereafter Stour found it difficult to make any headway against a well-organised Sutton defence, and they were undone on the break by LEVICK once more as she skipped past Heaselgrave’s challenge and advanced on goal before sliding her shot beneath Preston.

Deasy might have made it four after rounding Preston, but Heaselgrave was alive to the danger and cleared to safety.

Stour pushed for some consolation in the closing stages, with Nicklin, Murphy, Ruby Meeson and Rogers all coming close, but Sutton did more than enough to preserve the clean sheet and take home the points.

“I always said this season would be a learning curve,” said Fisher afterwards, “and there’s the proof. We had chances in the first half, which we couldn’t make the most of, and then we’ve been undone by a couple of goals either side of half time.

“If we’re honest they were situations we didn’t deal with very well, and if you let good teams have a sight of goal you’re going to get punished. The third goal, on the break when we’re chasing the game, that happens, but those first two goals were what cost us. I think we were a bit naïve in those situations.

“And then we’re chasing the game against a team who knew what they were about. Very experienced, knew how to shut the game down and make sure they didn’t give us a sight of goal.

“That will hurt us, that result, and so it should, but let’s keep things in perspective. This is a tough league and it’s just one result. We pick ourselves up, we rally round in training this week, and we get back at it next Sunday against Tamworth. Then it’s the FA Cup again, another big match.”

The Glassgirls now face three away games, travelling to Tamworth (17th October), Solihull Sporting in the Women's FA Cup (24th October) and then Coundon Court (31st October) before their next home fixture against Coventry Sphinx on Sunday 7th November.