Perfect Ten for Irresistible Glassgirls!

Five goals in each half – and eight different scorers – added up to a superb night’s entertainment for a crowd of over 150 under the Amblecote lights. Alex Nicklin and Cheryl Edwards led the way with a brace each, but the biggest cheer of the night was saved for the dying moments as full back Meg Hadley netted a long-awaited first goal for the club, and the team’s 150th in all competitions this season.

“it’s been a tremendous few days for us,” said manager Andy Fisher, reflecting on both Wednesday’s match and also Sunday’s 6-0 win against City of Stoke. “But the important thing is we keep our feet on the ground.

“We’re playing well, and you can see the girls are enjoying their football. Tonight was a great experience – It’s always different playing midweek under lights, and we really seemed to thrive on the occasion and the atmosphere. The crowd got behind us and that always has an impact on us, and anybody who missed out on coming to watch should be kicking themselves!”

The Glassgirls were out of the blocks fast and might have been ahead even earlier than the third minute, when Lili-Beth Bown’s neat lay-off allowed ELLIE MCGOVERN to drill low into the corner from just outside the penalty area, and from there Stour never looked back.

McGovern went close again with a free kick just over the bar, but it was MILLIE ROGERS who made it two with ten minutes played, running onto a long clearance from Amie Preston before calmly slotting past Alisha Hine in the City goal, and a minute later it was 3-0 as Rogers attacked the box from the right and pulled the ball back for Edwards whose shot was blocked, only for NICKLIN to react first and drive the ball home.

Stour were brimming with confidence now. Rogers volleyed over at the far post, via a deflection, Ruby Meeson saw her header kept out by a fantastic save by Hine, and then Rogers again shot narrowly wide.

City couldn’t withstand the Glassgirls attacks for long, however, and it was four on 19 minutes as a half-cleared corner fell nicely for MACEY TURVEY to thump in her second in as many games, having missed Sunday’s match.

Stourbridge continued to press, and the City goal was leading a charmed life. Carly Aldred was thwarted by Hine, and Rogers shot wide, whilst Hine was called into action again to deny Edwards spectacularly, and then to grab Turvey’s goal-bound header from another corner.

The pressure eventually told five minutes before the break, however, as Rogers wormed her way round a throng of defenders before clipping the ball to the far post for EDWARDS to tuck away her first of the night.

Stour took their time to pick up the tempo after the interval, until Rogers pounced on a mishit clearance only to skew her shot wide, but that merely delayed things as EDWARDS again found the target after persistence from Connie Dutton to win the ball back.

Keren Allen might have pinched a rare goal for herself with a shot from a tight angle that went straight into Hine’s midriff, but Stour did get their seventh with a peach of a cross from Jess Bate powerfully headed home by NICKLIN on 70 minutes.

Within four more minutes it was 9-0, as first Aldred raced clear before turning back and curling a sumptuous cross that allowed BOWN the simple task of nodding in virtually on the line, and then Meeson squared the ball for Dutton to tee up GEE THACKER for a composed finish.

The icing on the Glassgirls cake came three minutes from time, as Meeson crossed in from the right for Thacker to head against the post, with the rebound falling ideally for HADLEY to blast in, to the evident delight of her team-mates (pictured above).

Stourbridge remain third in the Premier Division table, but are now just four points behind leaders Lichfield City with two matches in hand, and one point behind second-placed Sutton Coldfield Town, having played one match fewer.

(Photo- Anthony Dunn)

STOURBRIDGE LADIES

Amie Preston, Ruby Meeson, Meg Hadley, Macey Turvey, Niamh Murphy, Ellie McGovern, Lili-Beth Bown, Alex Nicklin, Carly Aldred, Millie Rogers, Cheryl Edwards.

SUBSTITUTES (all used)

Jess Bate, Louisa Butcher, Gee Thacker, Keren Allen, Connie Dutton.