Stourbridge 3 Blyth Spartans 0

Manager Gary Hackett made just one change from the team that progressed in the FA Cup against Tividale seven days ago. Chris Knight returned after injury and suspension at left-back, with Leon Broadhurst moving into midfield. Drew Canavan made way, whilst Ben Billingham was also again amongst the substitutes.

The game began somewhat frenetically, with chances at either end within the opening two minutes. First Dan Maguire was afforded too much space as he picked up Robbie Dale’s incisive pass, only for the covering Knight to get a block in just as he was about to pull the trigger, and then Justin Richards, making his home debut, combined with Karl Hawley before miscuing his shot into the ground, the ball sitting up nicely for Fabian Otte in the visitors’ goal to make a comfortable save.

The game settled a little thereafter. Blyth came close on 8 minutes through Maguire again as he met a free kick from the by-line 10 yards out but could only send his shot over Lewis Solly’s crossbar, and then Chris Lait forced Otte into a save low down at his near post when the Glassboys man peeled off his marker at the far post to control a high ball on his chest and shoot at goal with 14 minutes played.

Stourbridge were beginning to test Blyth’s defence and Hawley came close with a 21st minute effort that drifted wide, whilst for the visitors wide man Arran Wearmouth sent a shot wide of Solly’s left-hand upright from a half-cleared corner.

It was the Glassboys who then broke the deadlock with 23 minutes on the clock, as Matt Dodd twisted and turned his defender before drawing a foul on the very edge of the penalty area. After a quick word with the Assistant, Referee Daniel Middleton pointed to the spot, and Dodd himself showed no little composure, after missing his last effort against Workington, to dink the ball beyond Otte.

With the boost of a first ever goal against Spartans behind them, Stourbridge went looking for more. Two minutes after the goal, Richards couldn’t cap a quick passing move with a finish to match, shooting well over under pressure, and then Lait went on a surging run that ended with a tame scuffed shot that trickled wide of the post. Not to be outdone, Michael Richardson took aim at Solly’s goal from fully 25 yards a minute later, forcing the Glassboys keeper to save below his crossbar.

There on, the half belonged to the North Easterners. Dale went on a strong run after 34 minutes before feeding Maguire whose shot went harmlessly wide, and then the same two players combined a couple of minutes after that, with Dale’s back-heel setting up Wearmouth for a shot from well outside the area that thumped against Solly’s crossbar before rebounding to be cleared to safety.

There was one more chance for Stourbridge as the half drew towards a close but Richards, having robbed Jordan Watson, could only find the side-netting with his shot.

That apart, the home side were relieved to hear the half time whistle, although, for all their precise passing and clever movement, the fact remained that Blyth had not really created the number and quality of chances that might have been expected having played the more controlled football.

The second half was slow to get going, with early head injuries to Stuart Pierpoint and Lait disrupting the flow of the game. Blyth had the first opening when a quick ball forward released Maguire, only for Dan Scarr to do enough to force him into a rushed attempt on goal, with the ball dropping wide.

Gradually, Blyth began to exert more of a grip on the game and Stourbridge were increasingly finding themselves on the back foot. A goal for the visitors appeared more likely than not, and it seemed set to arrive on 56 minutes as Richardson found himself unmarked 8 yards out with only Solly to beat. However, the big stopper spread himself to block the shot, and was quick enough to recover instantly and smother again from Maguire on the follow-up.

It was a double save that possibly changed the course of the match, although for a while it seemed merely to have delayed the inevitable. Within 60 seconds Maguire was again in on goal and the onrushing Solly perhaps got a touch lucky in not either handling outside the area or bringing the Blyth man down. In the end, though, he somehow managed to shepherd the ball back into the box and gratefully fall on it.

With Blyth holding sway, the temptation must have been there for the Glassboys management to remove an attacker and bolster the midfield, but that temptation was resisted and slowly Stourbridge weathered the storm and began to threaten more themselves. First Richards turned his man on the edge of the area before firing into the arms of Otte on 64 minutes, and then Hawley found himself in space 10 yards out but could do no more than scuff his shot wide.

But a second goal did come on 67 minutes. Broadhurst picked up the ball 30 yards out, advanced a couple of steps and let fly at goal. Otte, perhaps taken a little by surprise, could only parry the ball and Richards was quickest to react, showing great composure to calmly stroke the ball into the net for his first Glassboys goal.

The game was far from won, but Blyth were now no longer as composed as had previously been the case, and Stourbridge were increasingly finding openings. And it was Hawley who capitalised with 76 minutes played to all but seal the points.

Ryan Hutchinson’s attempted clearance fell to the Glassboys’ striker, who saw his first shot blocked but did well to recover and work space for another effort, which this time curled beyond Otte’s reach and just inside the far post from 8 yards.

Pierpoint came close to what would have been a flattering fourth on 79 minutes as he met Broadhurst’s corner at the far post with a thumping header that Otte did well to tip over the bar, and Hawley had the last word with a low shot that Otte saved with his feet in stoppage time. However, there was no denying the Glassboys the points.

The win moves Stourbridge up four places to 11th in the Evo-Stik League Premier Division table. However, they are just one point off the play-off places and five points off top spot in a very tight Division.

Brief highlights of the game can be seen at the following link, courtesy of Blyth Spartans TV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFdEb_oBvwk&feature=youtu.be