Glassgirls Undone by Fax Machine

The Yorkshire side led as early as the third minute from the penalty spot, and were three ahead before the midway point of the first half. Stour rallied, with Jess Lowe cutting the deficit, but when Halifax added a fourth just before half time, and then a fifth immediately after, there was no way back for an uncharacteristically lacklustre Glassgirls team.

Manager Mike Harris handed a debut to defender Maria Timms after her arrival from Derby County, and Mill Rogers returned to the starting line-up for the first time since September after three substitute appearances since coming back from injury.

Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause in remembrance of Maddy Cusack, with the Cusack family guests of the Club for the afternoon following our coaching staff’s fundraising efforts in support of the Maddy Cusack Foundation.

Stour looked nervy in the opening stages, and Halifax had already shown signs of their threat when the Glassgirls were penalised for a handball in the penalty area and Ellie White confidently placed the spot kick low to Jamie-Lee Bamford’s right.

Initially, Stourbridge responded well to that blow. Rogers crossed from the left with Rebecca Flaherty claiming well, and then got to the byline with Flaherty again dealing capably with the cross, while Zoe Clarke’s ball found Jess Lowe in a good position, with a covering defender getting across to prevent the shot.

That block became doubly significant a minute later as Halifax doubled their lead. Lucy Sowerby’s ball across the area forced Bamford to come off her line to clear, but the ball only found Monique Watson who threaded it back through covering defenders to find the net.

Within three minutes Stour were three behind as Madeleine Oliver’s ball over the defence found Brittany Sanderson free to slot past Bamford.

Stour needed something fast, and it came from the feet of JESS LOWE, as she cut inside from the right, taking on two defenders and lifting a shot over the backpedalling Flaherty whose stretched fingertips couldn’t prevent it dropping into the net.

Danielle Whittam and then White again might have done better with efforts on goal, as Stour continued to struggle with Halifax’s incision, although Zoe Clarke almost managed to pull another goal back seven minutes from the break when she met Rogers’ cross from the right with a half-hit shot that rolled wide of the post.

A goal at that point might have changed the course of the game. Instead Halifax reasserted their stranglehold on 44 minutes as Sanderson found Sowerby to place her shot past Bamford and leave the Glassgirls with a mountain to climb in the second half.

And the task got even tougher three minutes after the restart when Sanderson capitalised on some hesitancy in the Stour defence to turn the ball past Bamford.

The visitors might have added more, as the game lost any real competitive edge. Sowerby rounded Bamford but could only hit the outside of the post with her shot, before Courtney Willis dragged her effort wide of the far post. Meg Boydell fired wildly over the bar from not far out and Sanderson saw Bamford save well at her feet, while Stour couldn’t find an effort to test Flaherty, with only late shots off target from Kelsey Richardson and Favour Omenazu to speak of, as Halifax eased their way to the three points.

(Photo: Anthony Dunn, Focus Dunn Sports Photography)