Men's First Team
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Sat 20 Feb 2016  ·  Premier Division
Stourbridge FC
Men's First Team
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Mickleover Sports
Stourbridge 2 Mickleover Sports 1

Stourbridge 2 Mickleover Sports 1

Richard Clark20 Feb 2016 - 20:51
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The Glassboys edged to a narrow, and occasionally nervy, victory to maintain the challenge for a play-off place.

Stourbridge led at half time through Kristian Green’s header, his first goal for the club, and Karl Hawley’s penalty, sandwiching a scrambled equaliser from Nico Degirolamo, but despite having the better of the second period could not extend their advantage, and the visitors exerted some late pressure to keep the result in the balance right up until the final whistle.

After Tuesday’s FA Trophy defeat at Nantwich Town, manager Gary Hackett made three changes, with recent signing Joe Hull making his debut in central defence alongside Stuart Pierpoint, and Sean Geddes returning in midfield after a rib injury. Leon Broadhurst reverted to his usual midfield role with Sam Whittall and Ben Billingham, in line for his 300th appearance in a Stourbridge shirt, taking up places on the bench, where there was also a spot for new loan signing, Gurjit Singh.

Mickleover, meanwhile, included former Glassboy Reece Hales in their starting line-up. Like Singh, Hales is currently on loan from National League Kidderminster Harriers.

The Glassboys made a bright start to the game, and Hawley had the first chance on four minutes as he got away from his marker before dragging a shot wide from 20 yards. However, Mickleover illustrated their threat on the break with nine minutes played as Jake Green stole in behind Pierpoint but could only thump the ball straight into Matt Gould’s midriff.

Sports threatened again on 13 minutes with skipper John McGrath sending in a free kick from 20 yards that Gould was forced to parry wide for a corner.

But Stourbridge continued to push forward, and forged ahead with 16 minutes played through Green, who glanced a near-post header beyond Sports keeper Ross Atkins from Geddes’s corner.

Sports were level almost immediately, though, as McGrath again showed his dead-ball accuracy with an in-swinging corner that Gould, under pressure, could not get a clean punch on, allowing Degirolamo to stab the ball over the line.

Thereafter, play became a little more scrappy, although Stourbridge might have been ahead again on 22 minutes as Hawley flicked the ball on for Justin Richards to advance on goal. Atkins came out to meet him, and got enough on the ball to hold the striker up and allow Jake Bennett to get back and clear at the expense of a corner, from which Pierpoint could only head well over the bar.

Chris Lait saw his left-foot volley blocked by Atkins on 29 minutes, before Geddes fired over from the edge of the box two minutes later after good work from Richards down the left.

The visitors were continuing to cause problems on the break, with the pace of Green and Andy Dales on the flanks stretching the Stourbridge defence now and then, although they were unable to make clear chances from what possession they did have, and instead it was Stourbridge who went ahead again five minutes from the interval.

A ball in from the right saw McGrath and Richards challenge, with the referee deeming that the Mickleover man had deliberately used his arm to control the ball, resulting in the award of a penalty. Hawley grabbed the ball and went some way to exorcising the demons of his miss with his last attempt from the spot against Eastleigh by slamming the ball straight down the middle, and high into the roof of the net.

Once again, though, the setback served only to inspire the visitors into redoubling their efforts, and the period leading up to the break saw the Glassboys under the cosh somewhat. Gould was forced to push away a dangerous looking cross, and then Hull blocked at the near post from Green after another corner had sparked mayhem. The half-time whistle was more than welcome for the Glassboys when it sounded.

But Stourbridge came out with renewed vigour in the second half, and were soon on the attack. Hawley’s effort from 25 yards after 48 minutes may well have been sneaking wide of the far post, but Atkins was taking no chances as he dived full length to his left to finger-tip it away, and then Green missed the chance to double his tally for the game and the season when he met Geddes’s floated corner in the six-yard box but could not get enough of his head on the ball, which drifted wide.

Atkins was forced into action again on 57 minutes to punch away a fierce Broadhurst free kick, and then did even better with another free kick from Geddes that looked to be heading for the top corner before the Sports keeper palmed it away.

A cross from Richards almost saw Hawley able to head in on 65 minutes, only for Jack Broadhead to clear, and then Hawley laid the ball off to Lait two minutes later, with the winger snatching a little at his shot from an angle, sending the ball high, wide and not at all handsome.

The 72nd minute introduction of Billingham on his landmark day produced a warm ovation from the Amblecote faithful, and he was in the action right away as Broadhurst thundered in another free kick that Atkins could not hold, with Billingham firing over from the rebound. It would not have counted anyway, thanks to an offside flag.

The frustration of not being able to add to the slender lead was always likely to mean a few anxious moments as the game wore on, and so it proved as Mickleover sensed there might be some reward for their doggedness after all. First McGrath shot wide after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the area, and then the same player hit a free kick straight into the Glassboys defensive wall from a good position.

Substitute Kurt Morley’s strong run from half-way ended with his shot fading wide of Gould’s left-hand post five minutes from time, and he would shoot wide again as they game entered stoppage time, although not before Hawley had almost been gifted a third goal for Stourbridge. A long ball held up against the wind, with Hawley beating the onrushing Atkins to it. Having rounded the keeper, however, he was unable to bring the ball under control for a shot quickly enough, allowing defenders to get back and smother the chance.

The final half-chance fell to Mickleover’s Dales, whose dinked shot from 15 yards was off target. It had been a more testing last ten minutes than might have been the case, but nevertheless Stourbridge wrapped up a most valuable three points.

The result means that Stourbridge remain sixth in the Premier Division table.

Match details

Match date

Sat 20 Feb 2016

Kickoff

15:00

Attendance

531

Competition

Premier Division
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