Stourbridge 1 Frome Town 1

Match Report written by Matthew Sanghera of Haybridge Sixth Form.

The last time these two sides met at the War Memorial Ground was last season where the Glassboys ran out an impressive 4-0 victory in a comfortable encounter. Gary Hackett’s men were looking to repeat that result in Saturday’s fixture against Frome Town after a recent poor run of home form. Before the match Hackett commented on his side that they “need to show consistency” and “kick on” from last week’s 5-1 win over Weymouth, with Hackett also mentioning that his side have recently looked “desperately weak up front”, something the Glassboy’s hoped to make amends for in the weekends clash against 10th placed Frome Town, with a win potentially seeing Stourbridge rise to second in the league.

Stourbridge were boosted prior to the game with the announcement of the signing of central defender Gavin Hurren from Evesham United, with the 27 year old having made over 100 appearances for clubs such as Worcester City, Tamworth and Hednesford Town. Worries over injury doubts Ben Billingham and Sean Geddes were also put at ease, with both players named in the starting eleven.

Frome Town too have had a recent poor run of form, with both sides winning just one of their last five games. Frome were strengthened by emergency loan signing Ollie Chenoweth in goal from parent club Plymouth Argyle, with the side from Somerset hoping to stop their recent run of successive losses. Striker Lewis Powell went into the game on the back of a recent hat-trick over Weston Super Mare, with the striker hoping to replicate this feat in the match against the Glassboys.

A minutes silence was impeccably observed by the Stourbridge fans on armistice weekend, with all of those in attendance thoughts being of the sacrifices made by our countries servicemen and women, past and present who serve for us so that we may live in safety and freedom.

Stourbridge began the game well, attacking the Frome defence from the outset and the Glassboys could have taken the lead in the 3rd minute following a corner taken by Sean Geddes on the far side. It was headed down by Captain Paul McCone who was denied only by a brilliant save from Frome goalkeeper Ollie Chenoweth diving to his left who managed to tip the ball past his post for another Stourbridge corner.

However the deadlock was quickly broken in the 8th minute where following a foul on the far corner of the Stourbridge box, Frome took the lead from a well-hit Lewis Powell free-kick which crept under goalkeeper Lewis Solly in at the near post and nestle into the back of the net. A freak goal which some blamed on the low November sunshine bathing the Stourbridge half. Despite the promising early momentum it was 0-1 advantage Frome.

Stourbridge again tried to respond, with Sam Rock making a surging run and working it well down the wing, he eventually found Leon Broadhurst coming in support; however Broadhurst’s strike was blocked and Canavan stabbed the loose ball wide. Stourbridge were creating good chances from superb build-up play, they could not however find the back of the net and take their chances. It wasn’t long before Stourbridge had their third chance at goal through Drew Canavan, who was unlucky not to score but for another good save by the on-loan Plymouth goalkeeper.

Frome were dangerous on the break, however the Stourbridge defence remained resilient, with the Glassboys controlling the high balls in midfield and winning headers. Stourbridge’s fourth good chance of the game came from a brilliant solo effort from Luke Benbow, who made a surging run down Frome’s left wing. Eventually crafting for himself a chance in the box, his shot for the first time had beaten the Frome keeper, however it agonisingly drifted past the post and out for a goal-kick.

Stourbridge’s early momentum in the game appeared to drift away in the middle part of the first half, with the game becoming far more stagnated in midfield. Stourbridge could not break down the Frome defence and misplaced passes kept giving the opposition a chance to break up the Stourbridge attack.

It wasn’t until the latter stages of the first-half where Stourbridge again began to have opportunities to attack the Frome goal, Ben Billingham ran into the penalty area on the far side to have a shot on goal where he was rather dubiously tackled by a Frome defender,however Referee John Law did not rule the challenge to be a foul, much to the protest of the Stourbridge players and fans.

Stourbridge were unlucky not to be level, if not in front at half time, with 4 good chances not being converted by the Glassboys, however Frome defended well and were a constant threat to Stourbridge on the break, Stourbridge remained relatively solid and composed in the back line, however too often were passes going astray and inviting unwanted pressure onto a Stourbridge side desperate to turn around a recent poor run of form.

It was early in the second half when Sam Rock suffered a nasty looking injury to one of his legs where he appeared to turn awkwardly on his knee; this required a long stoppage of play to allow him to receive medical treatment. In the end he could not continue with the match and had to be stretchered off, to the applause of the home fans.

Sean Geddes’s shot soon after play resumed was struck well however in the end it was hit straight to the Frome keeper who had it covered. Frome were quick to reply as they surged straight back down the other end, with a cross whipped in to an unmarked Lewis Powell whose header only just went over the crossbar, much to the relief of Lewis Solly.

Stourbridge were not deterred by this set-back however and in fact, the next attack by the Glassboys was to be the best move of the game, Stourbridge’s Luke Benbow spotting the run of Ben Billingham on the near side and he slipped through a clever through ball which Billingham collected on the outside of the box, he then fired in a shot from a tight angle which curled past Ollie Chenoweth in the Frome goal and rippled the net just inside the far post. Stourbridge were back on level terms.

Stourbridge now appeared to be in control of the game however their hard work could have been cruelly cancelled out due to a careless mistake in the Stourbridge defence, Stourbridge failed to clear a Frome long ball which fell to an unmarked David Gilroy who was through on goal with the Stourbridge defence caught unawares. Luckily for Stourbridge, Gilroy’s shot was way off target, so much so it drew sarcastic cheers from the much relieved Stourbridge fans.

In an almost identical repeat of the first half the game slowed through the middle part of the second half, with the game becoming far scrappier with neither team looking like capitalising on a chance and taking the win. It was not until the 81st minute when both teams again started to play attractive, attacking football. Frome again had a chance on goal when Ben Wood crossed in to Powell at the far post who somehow planted his effort wide.

Stourbridge however did not sit back and defend; rather they took the match into the Frome half, and kept up a sustained siege on the Frome goal. Sean Evans fired in a shot which again only just drifted over the Frome goal.

Stourbridge, going from potentially scraping a point, looked to be in with a chance of taking all three, when in stoppage time Luke Benbow fired a shot across the Frome goal that Chenoweth got fingertips to, however no Stourbridge player was able to get a decisive touch, and so the ball drifted out for a goal kick.

Frome reminded the Glassboys of their threat on the break however, when in later in injury time a Darren Jefferies shot beat Lewis Solly in the Stourbridge goal, however the ball was cleared off the line by the Stourbridge defender, much to the relief of the Stourbridge faithful.

Soon after this the referee blew for full time, and a close yet entertaining fixture was over, with both teams ultimately happy to come away with a point.