Stourbridge 2 St Neots Town 1

The Saints enjoyed the greater possession in the quarter-of-an-hour although neither keeper was seriously tested. The visitors came closest to a goal in the 12th minute when Lewis Hilliard rolled a quickly taken free-kick into the path of Ryan Sharman who curled a shot from outside the box over the bar. As the Glassboys began to settle, they almost grabbed the lead on 18 minutes. Sean Geddes floated in a free-kick that was only half-cleared and Geddes ran on the loose ball to crash a volley from around 25 yards towards goal that struck Daniel Heath’s right-hand upright with the keeper rooted to the spot. Six minutes later Geddes played a delightful diagonal pass out towards Luke Benbow on the right and he took the ball down well to be able to cut inside a defender before drilling in a powerful shot that was parried by Heath. As Stourbridge continued to press, a 27th minute right-wing corner from Geddes was headed on by Henry Eze towards Leon Broadhurst who saw his effort saved by Heath diving down to his left before the ball was thumped clear. A minute later though, Stourbridge were rewarded for their good passage of play with the opening goal as Benbow laid on the opportunity for Ben Billingham to curl a sweet shot from the right-hand edge of the box beyond Heath and into the far corner of the net. Stourbridge remained on top and on 34 minutes a clearance by Nathan Bennett saw Benbow beat the offside trap and he turned past Dan Crowie, but his low drive was blocked by Heath. Three minutes later Benbow fed Geddes and he slipped an angled pass into Billingham on the right, who hit a low cross-shot that flew across the face of the goal. Towards half-time though the visitors hit-back and they might have been level by the break. In the 41st minute Hilliard clipped a 20-yard free-kick over Dean Coleman’s crossbar and then a few minutes later Ed Adjei was put through clear on goal, but he delayed getting his shot away and that allowed Coleman to close him down before producing a good blocking save and then just before the half-time whistle St Neots worked a short corner routine that led to the ball being played back to Joe Benjamin whose rising shot was saved by Coleman on his line.

St Neots started the second period in determined fashion and on 51 minutes an angled low drive from Bobby-Joe Taylor drew a good save from Coleman who got down smartly to his left to push the ball away with Benjamin then shooting over from the right-hand side of the box. A minute later though the visitors restored parity as Taylor pulled a low left-wing corner back to Sharman on the left-hand edge of the area and he met the ball on the half-volley to beat Coleman with his crisp first-time effort. The Saints continued to cause the home defence problems, but Stourbridge might have re-gained the lead in the 62nd minute as Benbow sent over a deep cross from the left that picked out Billingham at the far post and he returned the ball back across goal for Ryan Rowe to get in a header that cleared the crossbar. Six minutes later Eze thumped a clearance forward and Benbow gave chase through the left channel area and he managed to get the better of his marker, but he lifted his early shot over the bar as Heath raced off his line. St Neots responded with Benjamin dispossessing Billingham on the left and he advanced forward before delivering a low centre across the box that Adjei was unable to get a decisive touch on. Coleman was then called into action to save a low drive from Karl Saffee after a quick counter attack from the visitors, but in time added on, Stourbridge delivered a hammer blow as Billingham lifted the ball into the middle from the right and Richards rose highest to send a looping header over Heath and into the net for a dramatic winning goal.