Glassgirls Progress in County Cup

The home side made life difficult for Stour throughout after the shock of conceding a second minute own goal, and it was only a quick-fire double immediately after the break that the Glassgirls could relax, adding some gloss to the scoreline with another two goals in the last ten minutes.

Manager Mike Harris made six changes to the starting line-up for the midweek win against West Bromwich Albion, as he sought to manage his squad through a busy period, but initially at least it looked like more of the same as Stour went ahead with their first set piece. Jess bate swung in a corner from the right which evaded the keeper and bounced off an unfortunate defender into the net.

Fifth-tier Sphinx took that blow in their stride, however, and more than held their own through the opening stages, even hitting the outside of a post with eight minutes played as Stour quickly realised this would be no stroll.

But all the same, it was the Glassgirls who made most of the running during the first half. Ellie Butler saw the keeper deny her with an excellent save, and she then denied Esme Moran with another strong palm to push her short wide for a corner, with Lexie Harrison, twice, and Meg Hadley sent shots off target.

When Harrison and Hadley did find their range, the keeper was equal to them both, while Sphinx showed their threat again with an effort that Jamie-Lee Bamford had to grab at the second attempt.

Amber Lawrence fired over, and Jade Grove wide, then Favour Omenazu forced an excellent save with a stinging shot from the edge of the area as Stour continued to produce good build-ups and misfiring finishes.

Both Grove and Butler were again denied by the keeper as the first half drew to an end with Stourbridge frustrated at not being able to add to their lead.

That frustration evaporated after the restart as the first attack of the half saw Harrison’s strong run ended when she was felled in the penalty area, and AMBER LAWRENCE (pictured), marked her final appearance in a Stourbridge shirt by stepped up to send the penalty low into the keeper’s bottom left-hand corner.

Within four minutes the Glassgirls had a third goal, when Harrison once again caused problems down the left and when her cross was only half-cleared, ESEME MORAN needed no second invitation to drill it over the keeper’s head from the edge of the area.

There was still the occasional alarm for the Glassgirls, notably when a quick Sphinx break ended with a shot off target, and then when an effort from well outside the box clipped the top of Bamford’s bar, but Stour were still very much in control. Grove shot wide, as did substitute Niamh Deasy from Hadley’s excellent through pass, before the fourth goal arrived when JADE GROVE came short for a corner, picking the ball up and turning into the area before surprising the keeper with a shot that squeezed inside the near post.

A minute later it was five with a finish of exquisite quality from HANNAH FISHWICK, mirroring her goal from last season’s Plate Final, lifted delicately over the keeper from 25 yards.

The closing stages saw Deasy thwarted by another good save, and then Moran’s header came down off the bar with Stour unable to force it over the line, but the Glassgirls had done more than enough to progress.