Stourbridge 5 Hyde United 1

The result was the perfect pick-me-up for Gary Hackett and his team after last Tuesday’s disappointing defeat at Barwell, with solid performances from the whole team, five different names on the scoresheet, and at least three goals of the highest quality.

There were two changes to the starting line-up for the Glassboys, with striker Justin Richards returning from injury in place of Ben Billingham, and a debut in goal for new on-loan signing Matt Gould. The visitors, meanwhile, had not been enjoying the best of form lately, and, perhaps tellingly, were only able to name three substitutes.

Any hangover from Tuesday night was dispelled within four minutes, as the Glassboys came out of the traps with purpose. An early free kick from Leon Broadhurst failed to beat the first man, but when the ball came out to Matt Dodd, his whipped in cross was clawed away by Hyde keeper Sam Vince, only for the lurking Karl Hawley to take his time and drill the ball back through Vince’s legs to open the scoring.

With their tails up, Stourbridge continued to mount attack after attack. Hawley shot over from a similar position to the one from which he had scored against Skelmersdale seven days earlier, and then the same player was almost through on goal until a last-ditch tackle from Michael Muscat to deny him the chance to shoot.

The visitors, though, began to find something of a toe-hold in the match, and Junior Smikle had to be awake at the far post to clear for a corner on 13 minutes, before James Burke fired wildly over Gould’s crossbar a minute later after the set-piece had only been half cleared.

The Glassboys defence failed to heed that warning, and were very nearly punished just three minutes later as Ayrton Bevins shot goalwards from the edge of the area. However, with the ball arrowing towards his top right hand corner, Gould produced a stunning save to tip the ball over and maintain his side’s lead.

And the value of Gould’s save was emphasised on 22 minutes as Chris Lait doubled the Glassboys’ lead. The winger dropped his shoulder to beat his man 25 yards out and smashed in a shot that gave Vince no chance as he flung himself to his right.

The Stourbridge defence still appeared a little hesitant at times, possibly troubled by looking into a low sun, and more than once balls bounced around the edge of Gould’s penalty area with nobody able to effectively clear, and from one such exchange on 29 minutes, Bevins was again allowed time to get in a shot that ended up rolling harmlessly wide of the far post.

And again Stourbridge made the Tigers pay, and again it was with another sublime goal. Lait was once more involved, taking on Ryan Ellison on the left and getting in a cross that at first seemed to have too much pace as Hawley stretched unsuccessfully to meet it, until Dodd arrived late at the far post with a textbook diving header to make it 3-0.

Almost immediately it could have been four, but Hawley and Justin Richards left the ball to one another, allowing Vince to collect, and then on 39 minutes only the intervention of Muscat at the far post prevented Hawley or Lait converting Broadhurst’s cross.

The final chances of the half both fell to the visitors, with Gould again impressing with a diving save to his left after more uncertain defending, and then Adam Jones’s lob bouncing off the top of the Stourbridge crossbar. Warning signs for the Glassboys that they could not take three points for granted despite the scoreline.

There was no sign of complacency at the start of the second half, though, as Richards hit the crossbar within the first 30 seconds after a flowing move involving Sean Geddes and Lait, although the offside flag would have seen the goal chalked off in any case.

But Richards wasn’t to be denied five minutes later, as he all but sealed the points. Lait found space in the area and feigned to shoot, but instead slipped the ball to the former Sutton man, who calmly finished inside the near post. Within 60 seconds Hawley might have added a fifth as he scuffed his shot well wide of the far post, and then Geddes released Dodd with an excellent through ball, with Vince quickly off his line to smother at the winger’s feet.

Thereafter, Stourbridge seemed to take their collective foot off the pedal a little, and the Tigers came into the match more, without really causing too many problems, although Ben Holmes might have done better with a 69th minute free kick which he sent sailing over Gould’s bar.

Hawley was close to his second goal of the game on 76 minutes as Vince mis-kicked badly, but from a narrow angle the Glassboys striker’s attempted chip went just wide of the far post.

The fifth goal was not far away, though, and it was a first in a Stourbridge shirt for Ashley Vincent, The recent signing from Worcester City, on as a substitute, thumped a spectacular volley into the roof of the net from 15 yards after Hawley’s ball into the box had been touched on to him by Richards.

Gould saved well with his feet from Pete Boyle with six minutes to play, but the visitors finally got themselves on the scoresheet two minutes from time through Holmes, who was allowed a little bit too much time and space on the edge of the area and sent a thunderous strike to match Vincent’s beyond Gould into the top corner.

Stourbridge, and Gould in particular, will be infuriated not to have maintained the clean sheet, but that one blemish should not detract from what was an excellent all round display by the Glassboys.

Stourbridge climb one place to 8th as a result of the win.