Express & Star

Rugby Town 1 Stourbridge 2

A stoppage time goal from Linden Dovey provided the Glassboys with a valuable three points - but the final outcome was harsh on bottom club Rugby Town.

Published

The Warwickshire side were quickest out of the blocks, although Sam Rock might have done better for the visitors on six minutes than miscue a volley wide after Ben Billingham's centre.

Rugby took a deserved lead two minutes later through David Staff when he curled a free-kick around the Stourbridge wall and inside Stuart Brock's right-hand post. They almost doubled their lead shortly afterwards, as Staff combined well with Matt Brown but Brian Bowles headed wide.

Stourbridge looked to hit back on 25 minutes as Drew Canavan clipped the ball across to Billingham and his volley from the left-hand edge of the box flew wide.

A fine block from Leon Broadhurst then kept out a shot from Bowles. Stourbridge boss Gary Hackett had seen enough and reshuffled his pack with Dovey introduced as a sub up front and Broadhurst moved to left-back.

The Glassboys gradually imposed themselves more on the game as half-time approached and a minute before the break they drew level with a well-crafted goal.

Craig Slater played the ball up to the feet of Ryan Rowe who laid a neat first-time pass off into the run of Billingham and he beat Andy Stevens with a crisp low shot from just inside the box. Five minutes after the interval another lay-off from Rowe saw Billingham drive in a shot that Stevens safely held.

The Glassboys went desperately close on 54 minutes as Rowe fed Canavan on the edge of the area and he hit a shot against the foot of Stevens' left-hand upright. Ten minutes from time Rugby substitute Scott Youngs curled a shot narrowly wide.

In the closing stages Canavan had a shot tipped over the bar, but there was still enough time left for substitute Damion Jarrett to feed Dovey who fired home from a tight angle.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.