Glassboys get blown away

In a bright opening, Stourbridge defender Craig Slater saw his close range shot blocked after home goalkeeper Nathan Vaughan had failed to hold an Adam Bastable corner, then at the other end, Steve Lutz curled a shot agonishingly wide of the far post, but Evesham took the lead after four minutes when from a Danny Lennon right-wing cross, a volley into the ground from Troy Wood bounced beyond the diving Solly. Five minutes later, the home side threatened again as a right-wing corner from Simon Fitter flew through to Mark Owen and his lob was clutched by Solly above his head. Stourbridge tried to hit back with Mark Bellingham seeing his 11th minute low snap-shot turned round by Vaughan at the foot of his near post, but three minutes later, the hosts doubled their lead as Lennon fastened onto a long through ball and beat Solly, who had been drawn outside his box, before steering the ball into an empty net. Just after the half-hour mark, a right-wing cross from Mark Jones was only partially cut out by the Robins defence and John Williams collected the loose ball on the right-hand edge of the box before firing in a shot that Vaughan clutched at the second attempt, however a third goal seven minutes before the break put Evesham firmly in the driving seat as a ball forward from Leon Blake found Mark Owen who used his pace and strength to shrug off the attentions of Slater before drilling a shot past Solly. Simon Fitter then clipped a free-kick against the outside of the post for the hosts before in stoppage time, the Robins put the result beyond doubt when a superb diagonal ball from Blake split the Stourbridge defence and Wood, from the right-hand side of the box, buried home his low angled shot. The second-half not surprisingly proved to be anti-climatic, although sub Sam Rock showed up well for the Glassboys following his introduction after the break. Bellingham should have pulled a goal back on 68 minutes when he turned and volleyed over the bar from six yards out after Nathan Bennett had headed a Bastable free-kick across goal. Wood might have claimed his hat-trick with seven minutes left, but he headed wide from a fine Shane Benjamin cross.