Chasetown 1 Stourbridge 2

Gary Hackett gave a start to Karl Hawley, a striker released by National League Alfreton Town at the end of last season, whilst there was a place on the bench for 16-year old Youth Team defender Jacob Wedderburn.

After Hawley had gone close with a fizzing shot that cleared the crossbar early on, before being unable to direct his header on target under pressure from a defender shortly afterwards, it was Chasetown who should have opened the scoring from the penalty spot with 24 minutes played. Leon Broadhurst was deemed to have brought down his man after being beaten on the edge of the penalty area, but when Lee Butler stepped up to take Charlie Price flung himself to his right to beat the ball away.

Moments later, Broadhurst was forced to head clear, with the home side claiming vociferously that the ball had crossed the line, and then from the ensuing corner Francino Francis pt a free header wide.

Having withstood that flurry from the Scholars, the Glassboys forged ahead on 38 minutes. Dodd made progress down the right flank, and his ball into the area found Hawley 15 yards out, who controlled the ball and turned in one movement before slamming his shot into the roof of former Glassboy Jon Bateman's net.

The lead could have been doubled just three minutes later when Stuart Pierpoint climbed to meet Drew Canavan's corner only to direct his header straight at a relieved Bateman.

The second half saw few serious chances for either side as a procession of substitutes entered the fray. Chasetown could have levelled on 66 minutes when Lewis Solly, on for Price at the break, was happy to see another free header sail harmlessly over the bar.

But instead Stourbridge did grab that second goal with 71 minutes played. Luke Connolly slipped the ball through to Chris Lait, whose run took him clear of the home defence to set up Dodd for a simple finish.

A seemingly comfortable closing few minutes were made a little more awkward as Chasetown cut the arrears with three minutes to play. Good play by Simon Brown and Danny Griffiths saw the latter foiled by the onrushing Solly, but when the ball came back into the box it was Dominic Dell who reacted quickest to slide home.

STOURBRIDGE LINE-UP: Price (Solly 45), Green, Scarr (Wedderburn 77), Tonks (Connolly 69), Smikle (Lait 62), Pierpoint, Dodd, Broadhurst, Hawley (McPike 71), Hayward (Harris 62), Canavan.

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: None.