Bennett bags winner

10:21am Thursday 6th December 2007

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GLASSBOYS 1, SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN 0.

Glassboys claimed a narrow victory to leapfrog their opponents into second place in the BGB Midlands Division One league table and keep their amazing run of ten wins on the bounce going.

The only goal of the game came after just three minutes when Damian Whitcombe swung in a dangerous free-kick from the right and as Nathan Bennett rose with his marker to challenge, the ball glanced off a head out of the reach of Sutton Coldfield custodian Chris Gemmell. After that, the home side shaded a tight first period. They defended well to stifle the freescoring visitors, whilst also looking the more likely team to score again. In the 12th minute, Sam Rock played a pass down the right that Sam Wilson failed to cut out and that allowed Kyle Hadley to burst forward into the right hand side of the Sutton box before hitting a low shot which rebounded off the base of the post. On the stroke of half-time, the Glassboys again might have extended their lead. Following good work down the right by Hadley initially, Bellingham laid the ball off neatly to Whitcombe who skied his shot high and wide.

After the interval, Stourbridge again went close on 58 minutes. Andy Wells fed Rock whose superb crossfield pass from left to right picked out Hadley, whose angled low shot was blocked by Gemmell. Sutton probed for an equaliser, but struggled to make much impression in the face of some resolute Stourbridge defending. In the 71st minute, Justin Rowe found Jimmy Quiggin, but his effort drifted wide, then ten minutes later sub Liam McDonald took a quick free-kick on the left, playing a short ball across to Leon Blake, whose long range drive flashed wide of the far post. The closest the visitors came to an equaliser was on 83 minutes when Rowe laid the ball out wide to Matt Dodd on the right and from his deep cross, McDonald saw his downward header bounce up and over the crossbar.

Stourbridge: Solly, Bellingham, Hadley, Rock, Collins, Bennett, Slater, Broadhurst, Dyson, Wells, Whitcombe Subs: Danks (for Rock 72 mins), Mahon (for Wells 81 mins), Rogers, Brookes, Ford (not used)