Colwyn Bay 0 Stourbridge 2

After Saturday’s win at Hyde United, Gary Hackett named an unchanged sixteen for the game, as the Glassboys looked to continue their upward curve.

There was a quiet opening to the game, with neither side giving the opposing defence too many problems. John Marsden tried his luck from distance for Bay on 3 minutes, sending the ball high and wide, but on the whole there was little to get the sparse crowd excited on a damp evening.

Justin Richards came close to breaking the stalemate on 18 minutes when he could only divert Matt Dodd’s low right-wing cross against the crossbar at the far post, and then another dangerous Dodd cross was cut out by Sam Barnes before play switched to the other end where Kristian Green was forced into a block from Marsden.

Karl Hawley was next to threaten as a defensive error allowed him a sight of goal after 24 minutes, but from an angle he could only find the side-netting.

The Glassboys were pressing but unable to create anything more than half chances, as Stuart Pierpoint headed wide from Leon Broadhurst’s deep free kick, whilst in turn Lewis Solly had to be alert to tip another effort from Marsden wide.

Stourbridge did have the ball in the net with 36 minutes on the clock through Hawley’s shot on the turn from ten yards out, but the striker was adjudged to have used his arm to control the ball and the score remained goal-less.

The half ended with honours fairly even, but as the second period began it was the visitors who began to exert more pressure on the Colwyn Bay goal as the rain set in. Another Broadhurst free kick from out wide caused problems for the home defence but as the ball dropped Dan Scarr mis-kicked and the danger was cleared, and then Hawley muscled his way into a shooting position to force a finger-tip save from Louis Gray in the home goal.

Stuart Pierpoint was next to take aim, his close-range shot from a Broadhurst corner being deflected wide, but Bay then proved that they were still a threat as Kevin Holsgrove nipped in at the near post but could only steer his shot wide of Solly’s upright.

The goal that finally broke the deadlock came on 65 minutes. Hawley worked his way into the box and was challenged by Rob Hopley. The ball went out for what most assumed would be a goal kick, or possibly a corner, but referee Barry Cropp viewed matters differently and awarded a spot kick to the Glassboys. Hawley himself took on the duties from twelve yards and despatched the ball low to Gray’s left as the keeper headed in the opposite direction.

Matters were to get worse for the home side with 12 minutes remaining. Left back Zac Corbett, who had been troubled by Dodd all evening, and had been yellow carded for bringing down the winger in the first half, had just been spoken to by referee Cropp, and then took Dodd down again moments later to earn a second card and with it his marching orders.

Stourbridge sensed the opportunity to kill the game off and Richards saw his shot well saved by Gray from Hawley’s cut-back, before Gray foiled the same player from a shot that took the slightest deflection off a defender, and Dodd jinked through only for Gray to stick out a hand and pull off a fine save.

It appeared as though those missed chances might prove costly on 85 minutes as Hopley rose above Scarr to plant a firm header past Solly and into the roof of the net from a right wing corner, but Mr Cropp deemed that the Bay man had illegally climbed on Scarr and disallowed the goal. It was a decision that did not go down well with the home faithful, and their ire was heightened within a couple of minutes as Richards did make the game safe, firing home from ten yards after Ben Billingham’s cross had only been headed out to the edge of the penalty area.

There was to be a jarring note on which to end the evening, however, as Billingham lunged into a stoppage time challenge on half way that he perhaps did not need to make, and Mr Cropp dished out his second red card of the night. Nevertheless, that should not detract from another extremely professional performance away from home, and a fine three points.

The result moves Stourbridge up to 4th in the Premier Division table, just five points behind leaders Blyth Spartans, and a solitary point adrift of second place.