Salford City 0 Stourbridge 1

Richards 68th minute left-foot shot from the right-hand edge of the penalty area into the far corner beat Salford keeper Jay Lynch for the only goal of the game, as the Glassboys re-ignited their play-off hopes after disappointing results against Ramsbottom United and Stamford.

Manager Gary Hackett named an unchanged starting line-up from Saturday’s FA Trophy tie at Braintree Town against one of the favourites for the Evo-Stik League Title. There was a place on the bench for new signing Ashley Vincent, one of just four substitutes named.

Stourbridge forced a couple of corners in an even opening period to the game, but it was Salford who came closest to scoring in the early exchanges, first through John Johnston’s whipped in cross which was bundled behind for a corner, and then from the resulting over-hit flag kick Scott Burton lifted the ball back in for Chris Lynch to head wide of the far post.

The Glassboys’ first effort on goal came with ten minutes played when Richards fired in a shot from the edge of the area that Jay Lynch spilled, but the keeper was able to drop on the loose ball as Karl Hawley looked to pounce, before Gareth Seddon tried his luck at the other end with a speculative 14th minute lob that didn’t miss Charlie Price’s goal by any great distance.

It was proving to be an open game, with both teams set up to attack, and plenty to keep the crowd entertained. The Glassboys were playing their part fully, and were next to threaten through Matt Dodd after 16 minutes, but on the stretch he couldn’t quite get a touch on Richard’s ball into the area to test Lynch, whilst Chris Lait might have done better four minutes later with a scuffed shot from 20 yards that went well wide after a driving run past two defenders.

But the game was to take a dramatic twist on 27 minutes as the home side were reduced to ten men when Jordan Hulme, after getting the better of Dan Scarr, took a slightly heavy touch and, as Price came off his line to claim, followed in on the Glassboys keeper. Referee Aaron Jackson deemed the challenge to be reckless and brandished the red card to the Salford man.

If that was to be a turning point, then it wasn’t immediately evident as the Ammies, stung by what they clearly felt was an injustice, took the game to the visitors without managing to work many clear openings, as Stourbridge failed to make the extra man count.

As half time approached, the Glassboys twice had shouts for penalties. The first saw Junior Smikle deemed guilty of simulation and rightly yellow carded, but the second, when Lait appeared to have been tripped, looked a more convincing call, although not in the eyes of Mr Jackson.

The second half saw Stourbridge settle more into a pattern of trying to stretch the home side’s defence and use the full extent of the pitch, and they almost reaped an early reward when Hawley burst onto a through ball, only to shoot wide when he should have at least hit the target.

Scarr saw a header from Leon Broadhurst’s right wing corner blocked for another flag kick on 51 minutes, and then Lait worked a yard of space in the penalty area before dragging his shot wide of the near post.

A rare Salford attack saw Gary Stopforth fire well over from distance just before the hour, but it was the Glassboys who were fashioning, and largely squandering, the better of what chances did come along. Hawley was again a little wasteful on 61 minutes when he placed his shot from the edge of the area too close to Lynch, allowing the keeper to make a comfortable save to his right. And Stourbridge were close again with 65 minutes played as first Hawley saw Lynch beat his shot away, and then Lait, following up, was denied by by Steve Howson’s block.

But a goal was not long in coming, as Richards fashioned and finished from just inside the area with a little over 20 minutes to play to give the Glassboys a lead that their second half performance merited.

Salford hit back within a couple of minutes as a raking through ball put Seddon clear, only for the assistant’s flag to be raised, and the home side were to enjoy a spell of pressure with Price saving from Stopforth, and the Stourbridge defence somehow bundling the ball to safety, before substitute James Poole tried to bend a shot from the edge of the box that only just failed to curl inside Price’s right hand post.

With Salford committing men forward, however, gaps were beginning to appear for the Glassboys to exploit. Richards failed to trouble Lynch with a header that lacked power on 81 minutes, and then two minutes later the same player broke into the penalty area but could only find the side-netting with his shot.

With the clock winding down, Salford increased the tempo and pushed the Glassboys back. Evan Gumbs had a crack from some way out, but saw his shot blocked, and then as the game entered stoppage time, Poole’s effort came back off the inside of the post as if to emphasis that it would not be Salford’s night.

The Glassboys were to have two further chances to wrap up the points on the break. First Hawley cleverly played Richards in but the striker’s shot was inches over the crossbar, and then Richards returned the compliment only for Hawley to trip over the ball as Chris Lynch got back to make an excellent last-ditch challenge in what was to prove the last incident of note.

An excellent win for the Glassboys, then, against a very good Salford side who may well have made life even harder with a full complement for the whole 90 minutes, and who will surely be in the thick of the Title race come the last day of the season when they visit the War Memorial Ground.