Mags Too Strong for Battling Stour

There was no faulting the Glassgirls efforts on an energy-sapping pitch which showed all the signs of heavy rainfall in the lead-up to the game, and was only just declared fit, but ultimately the full-time Magpies proved stronger throughout the game and were deserved winners.

Stour, though, can take much from a battling display as they look ahead to an important game this Thursday night away to West Bromwich Albion at Darlaston Town FC (7.45 pm).

Mike Harris named a strong starting eleven, and there were places on the bench for recent signing Erin Griffiths as well as Zara Gibbs, who had both been in impressive form for the Pathway teams in recent weeks.

There was a warning shot for the Glassgirls inside the opening 20 seconds as Olivia Watt forced Jamie-Lee Bamford into a diving save, with Stour eventually able to clear the danger, and they threatened again as Bamford fielded a long-range effort from Beth Lumsden three minutes later.

Stourbridge showed they didn’t intend to let the visitors have things all their own way, however, as Daisy Clements’s strong run down the right forced a corner, from which Niamh Murphy headed just wide as the Magpies defence failed to clear.

Still, it was the visitors controlling things for the most part, and they grabbed the first goal on 13 minutes, as Emma Kelly’s shot was blocked into the path of Georgia Gibson who finished smartly inside the six-yard box.

Newcastle fans may have expected the floodgates to open from here, but Stour dug in and Bamford didn’t have many meaningful saves to make for all Newcastle’s territorial dominance. In fact, Stour were next to come close as Rosie Embley’s 25-yard free kick saw Grace Donnelly diving high to her left to palm it wide of the post.

That seemed to stir the Geordies, however, and they almost doubled their lead when Bamford swung and missed at Sophie Heaselgrave’s backpass, just getting back in time to clear the ball, which rebounded fortuitously off Bridget Galloway for a goal-kick, and then Jasmine McQuade pulled her shot wide of the far post from a good position inside the area.

Galloway fired over after a good spell of possession for the visitors, while another Embley free kick from a similar position at the other end was dealt with by the Newcastle defence, and the half ended with Stour trailing by that single goal after Charlotte Potts saw her stoppage time free kick come back off the wall.

Once again the Glassgirls were on the back foot from the start of the second half, and seven minutes in Newcastle had their second goal, as Kelly’s instinctive shot from the edge of the area found the corner of the net to Bamford’s right.

Hannah Fishwick found a little room for Stour but from some way out her shot wasn’t on target, before Bamford was forced into action to tip Pott’s long-range skimmer wide of the upright, with McQuade drawing a more straightforward save, and then firing over the bar a minute later.

The third goal came with twelve minutes to play, McQuade again involved as her shot was well-saved by Bamford only for Gibson to react quickest to force the loose ball home.

Bamford again excelled as time ran down, coming off her line to thwart Paige Bailey-Gayle, and in added time the final action saw Stour somehow manage to divert the ball wide of goal in a six-yard box scramble.

The Glassgirls remain 10th, nine points clear of the relegation zone after Huddersfield’s fixture at home to Liverpool Feds was called off, while AFC Fylde were defeated by Stoke City to stay bottom a further three points back.

(Photo - Anthony Dunn, Focus Dunn Sports Photography)