Stourbridge 2 Stamford 0

It was not necessarily Stourbridge's best performance of the season, and the points were not made safe until the second goal arrived three minutes from time, but the Glassboys were worthy winners all the same, and the margin of victory could, perhaps should, have been wider had chances been taken.

Gary Hackett was forced into one change from the team that won so impressively at Ashton United on Saturday, with Joe Hull starting in place of the suspended Stuart Pierpoint, and there was further change in midfield as Sean Geddes came back into the side for Tom Tonks. Dan Scarr, on his 50th appearance, captained the side in Pierpoint's absence.

The visitors, desperate for points in their battle to avoid the drop, began brightly, and had the first half chance inside the opening minute, as the burly Greg Smith's shot on the turn lacked power and was straight at Matt Gould.

Stourbridge quickly warmed to their task, however, and came close to opening the scoring on 12 minutes when George Bowerman's mazy run across the edge of the Stamford box ended with a left-foot shot that came back off the crossbar, and almost immediately after that a clever lay-off from Justin Richards gave Chris Lait the chance to let fly from 20 yards with a shot that went over.

The game settled down for a spell after that flurry, but Stourbridge gathered themselves and pressed again. Bowerman's low cross from the right was gathered by 46-year old Paul Bastock in the Daniels goal, with Kristian Green unable to get there first, and then Richards was unable to get up high enough to direct a header on target from another right-wing delivery.

With chances coming and going, the Glassboys needed a goal to settle them and it arrived at last on 36 minutes. And what a goal it was, as Lait cut in from the left and exchanged passes with Richards before curling the ball round Bastock and into the top corner from 20 yards for his 15th goal of a prolific season.

With the shackles off, Stourbridge turned the screw and should have been further ahead three minutes later as Hawley and Richards combined for the former Carlisle striker to shoot low to Bastock's right, with the keeper pulling off a fine save to turn the ball round the post, and then Hawley chested down a cross from Lait for Bowerman to volley over.

The half closed with a minor scare for the Glassboys as Gould had to be smart off his line to claim the ball at the feet of Jake Newman, but that was a rare foray for a visiting team that had found itself under the cosh more and more as the half went on.

As if to emphasise that point, the Daniels made all three of their permitted substitutions at the break, and it was clear straight away that an injection of pace would make for a tougher challenge in the second period. Again the visitors had a sniff of goal inside the first minute, as Newman's cross from the left was flicked on at the near post by Jordan Smith, but straight at Gould.

Stourbridge were soon back into their stride, though, and Bastock's goal was again under pressure. A poor punch from a Geddes free kick on 55 minutes saw Scarr head the ball back towards goal, but it dropped just over the bar, and then Richards drove into the box from the right before seeing his shot held by Bastock, before Hawley fired over from 20 yards as the hour mark passed.

The Daniels were battling hard and not allowing the Stourbridge defence any rest when they had the chance to get forward, although clear chances were few and far between. There was a scare on 63 minutes as Jordan Smith went down in the area under a challenge, but the referee deemed the striker to have exaggerated the contact and cautioned him.

A minute later Gould had to come off his line to claim a deep cross, adeptly juggling the ball deliberately over Newman before catching it at the second time of asking, whilst at the other end Hawley then saw another effort held comfortably by Bastock.

The visitors forced their first corner of the game on 72 minutes and an excellent delivery forced Gould to tip the ball away for another, which flew across the six yard box with nobody able to make contact.

Stourbridge spurned their best chance yet to make the game safe on 74 minutes as Lait released Hawley for a clear run on goal, but the striker elected not to shoot first time, instead turning back inside onto his left foot allowing Jon Challinor to recover and make the block.

Newman was close to capitalising on a defensive mistake shortly afterwards as Scarr misjudged a bouncing ball, but the Glassboys skipper got back to clear, whilst Lait then saw a shot blocked and Broadhurst fired to loose ball over from outside the area.

Richards shot over, and then Hawley shot wide, after both had pounced on defensive errors, and it looked like Stourbridge would have to endure a nervy last few minutes, until substitute Ashley Vincent pounced to remove any lingering doubt about the outcome, sweeping home the loose ball from close range after Bastock had failed to hold another fiercely-hit Richards shot.

Newman saw his volley from a half-cleared corner blocked by Green as Stamford mounted a final fling, but Hawley could have added a third for Stourbridge in stoppage time when he latched onto a clearance with every Stamford outfield player committed upfield, only for Bastock to race from his area and just reach the ball first to clear.

The win moves Stourbridge back up into fifth place in the Premier Division table.