Five Star Glassgirls See Off Stoke!

The Glassgirls have now won eight of their nine League games to date, and remain four points behind leaders Lichfield City, who also won 5-0 at Crusaders.

A physical Stoke side belied their lowly position and made life difficult for Stour throughout, but the Glassgirls were always in control of the game after three goals in the first twenty minutes, only some wayward shooting preventing them adding more than a further two goals after the break.

GEE THACKER opened the scoring with just six minutes played when her free kick from 25 yards was perfectly judged to beat the keeper in the far top corner, HANNAH FISHWICK made it two on the quarter-hour with a lobbed effort from similar distance, and when THACKER again found the net from the edge of the area any doubt as to the outcome was effectively gone.

Alex Nicklin skimmed the face of the crossbar a minute later but the home side continued to compete and went close on 29 minutes when a deep free kick produced a mishit shot which Amie Preston was able to claim.

More chances for the Glassgirls saw Cheryl Edwards denied by a fingertip save and then Meg Hadley blaze a shot over the bar when she seemed set to open her account for the Glassgirls.

Fishwick should have made it four early in the second half when set clear by Jess Bate’s ball over the top but she delayed her shot and was off target, and another outstanding save prevented Ruby Meeson from finding the net as Stour assumed almost total control of territory and possession, and from the resulting corner the fourth goal arrived via a bullet header from skipper COURTENEY MURPHY.

Keren Allen headed over after Alex Nicklin flicked on Meeson’s corner on 66 minutes, and Nicklin was again instrumental two minutes later when her effort was deflected into the path of FISHWICK who stroked the ball home from six yards out.

Thereafter, Stour just couldn’t find the target. Nicklin flashed a ball across the face of goal, ESME MORAN headed over, Nickin hit the bar again, and Thacker missed the chance to complete a hat trick with a hurried shot wide.

“It was a bit of a grind,” said manager Andy Fisher afterwards. “They were physical and we got dragged into things a bit, particularly in the first half, which is something we’ve got to deal with a bit better.

“We should have had more goals, but our finishing let us down at times. Every team has days like that, I’m only glad it wasn’t a game where that could have cost us.”

The Glassgirls are at home next Sunday against Coundon Court, kicking off at 2pm. Venue to be confirmed.

STOURBRIDGE LADIES

Amie Preston, Jess Bate, Sophie Heaselgrave, Louisa Butcher, Meg Hadley, Niamh Murphy, Alex Nicklin, Hannah Fishwick, Gee Thacker, Cheryl Edwards, Connie Dutton

SUBSTITUTES (all used)

Keren Allen, Ruby Meeson, Ellie McGovern, Esme Moran, Courteney Murphy.