Glassboys boss in striker move
Stourbridge boss Gary Hackett admits it felt emotional to see striker Rob Taylor make his long awaited comeback.
The forward – one of Hackett's original signings – made his Glassboys comeback in Wednesday's Birmingham Senior Cup win over Redditch after 21 months out with a medial knee ligament injury.
Taylor played the closing stages of the 2-1 win and that was a welcome sight for the Glassboys' chief.
"He came on for the last 15 minutes of the game and it was quite emotional for all of us," he said.
"We've all seen how hard Rob has worked to get back into things and I'm sure there were a few times when he thought about whether he had a future in the game or not.
"It was only the last quarter of an hour of the game but he did OK. Redditch were pressing quite hard by that point so he did have to do a bit of tracking back and defending, but he coped with it alright.
"He's still some way off being regularly involved but to play the other night was a huge step forward for him and we're all delighted."
Taylor waited 11 months for surgery and then suffered a further setback in training in September which the club feared would rule him out until the New Year. But his rehab went well and he's now back in action.
It was a busy week for Hackett, who saw his side bounce back from the disappointment of a 4-2 defeat at Sutton to record a memorable win over Redditch.
Stourbridge also made their first dip into the transfer market since the start of the season – snapping up former Chasetown FA Cup hero Darren Whitcombe.
The midfielder has joined on a one month loan from Redditch.
Hackett said: "He's got a very good pedigree and we're looking for him to give us another dimension in midfield.
"I have been looking for players for a few weeks but I always said I wasn't going to sign just anyone. It needed to be someone who would add to our squad - and I believe Darren does that."
