RICHARD Batchelor scored a stoppage time winner as Leamington stunned Stourbridge in the FA Cup.

The midfielder turned in Lee Chilton’s cross to snatch victory for the visitors after a pulsating finish to the FA Cup first qualifying round replay.

Ben Billingham had put Stour into an early lead but Liam Daly levelled for the visitors before half-time.

Both sides had chances to win it in the second half but with extra time looming, Batchelor pounced to send the Brakes through.

Last season the Glassboys experienced the highs of the FA Cup but tonight they were shown the flip side of the coin.

The defeat, not least the manner of it, will certainly hurt. Three times over the 180 minutes of this tie Gary Hackett’s side took the lead and three times they were pegged back, before their opponents delivered the ultimate sucker punch.

Fixtures between these sides have delivered too many superb games to mention in recent years and while the first 70 minutes couldn’t exactly be labelled as classic, the final 20 were up there with the best.

Both sides could have won it as the game opened up but on this occasion it was the Brakes turn to celebrate. Theirs was a committed performance which first knocked the hosts out of their stride and then exploited the openings in a home defence missing the presence of Sam Smith, who was forced off after 20 minutes through injury.

Stour, who will now turn their full attention to the Southern League Premier, will rue their failure to build on the superb start given them by Billingham and the sloppy equaliser which allowed the visitors back into the game.

Just like Saturday’s first meeting which ended 2-2, Stour were quick out of the blocks and just like Saturday, they were ahead inside three minutes.

Nice build up play saw the Glassboys advance to the edge of the box and when the ball was played back to Billingham, he curled a shot inside Sawyer’s far post, though the keeper was perhaps a little slow to react.

Anyone who expected the early goal to be the cue for a frenetic opening quarter would have been disappointed however, with the ball spending a fair amount of time in the air as the game took place amid increasingly heavy rain.

Tom Berwick fired over hurriedly on the turn for the visitors, while former Glassboy Chilton mis-kicked horribly when presented with a good chance by Lee Moore.

Stour were guilty of playing too many long balls but when they did get the ball down, they looked dangerous. Chris Knight saw a shot deflected over by Lee Mace and also volleyed just off target, while Sean Geddes drilled a low shot into the side netting after following up his own corner.

As the hosts upped the tempo, Billingham fired over after a neat exchange with Knight. The latter then fed Leon Broadhurst after a lovely run but Sawyer was equal the subsequent shot.

Leamington had pressure without really troubling Solly and had been restricted to a Joe Magunda shot which was easily claimed by the keeper but five minutes before the break they were level.

Paul Lloyd fouled Matt Dodd out on the left and when Moore swung in the free-kick, Daly managed to deflect the ball in off his thigh.

The first 25 minutes of the second half saw little in terms of goalmouth action aside from Drew Canavan’s shot which was saved by Sawyer.

But the game exploded into life when Solly was forced to tip over a looping effort from Daly. From the corner, Geddes cleared Batchelor’s header off the line.

Minutes later it was Stour who went within inches of taking the lead, as Knight saw a low drive cleared off the line after a clearance had fallen to him ten yards out.

Solly was then called into action again, pulling off the save of the game to tip a curling Geddes effort round the post with his fingers, before Sawyer was then sent scampering at the other end as Billingham drove an effort just wide.

Leamington sub Alex Taylor curled a shot just wide of the far post after he had cut inside of Nathan Bennett.

A minute into stoppage time Leamington grabbed the winner. The ball was worked out wide to Chilton whose cross from the byline was turned in at the far post by Batchelor, sparking wild celebrations among the visiting support.

GLASSBOYS: Solly, Rock (Benbow 59), Smith (Oliver 20), McCone (c), Geddes (Griffiths 70), Bennett, Lloyd, Broadhurst, Knight, Billingham, Canavan subs not used: Dovey, Turton, Hendrie, Dyson.

Goal: Billingham 3.

LEAMINGTON: Sawyer, Mace, Morley (Tuohy 57), Magunda, Hood (c), Daly, Dodd, Chilton, Berwick (Taylor 83), Moore, Batchelor subs not used: Adkins, O’Neill, Ward.

Goals: Daly 40, Batchelor 90+1.