Express & Star

Stourbridge 3 Dunkirk 1

Stourbridge had far too much ammunition for Nottingham-based Midland League minnows Dunkirk as they booked their place in the FA Cup third qualifying round.

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The Glassboys had already squandered a couple of early openings before taking a seventh-minute lead.

Despite being tripped, Drew Canavan was able to release Chris Lait down the left flank, who cleverly cut inside two Dunkirk defenders to slot home.

Twice Stourbridge defender Stuart Pierpoint was denied by Dunkirk goalkeeper Jake Want, who kept his side in the game with a string of superb saves.

Dunkirk were thrown a lifeline on 29 minutes when Pierpoint spectacularly headed a right wing cross from Macauley Diuk into his own net.

But Stourbridge restored their lead six minutes later. Want had already pulled off a point-blank save to deny striker Karl Hawley.

Just seconds later, Hawley was able to slot home after Tom Tonks and Matt Dodd combined to draw Dunkirk's defence out of position.

Stourbridge finally put the game to bed on 62 minutes, when Pierpoint headed home at the far post from Leon Broadhurst's pin-point corner.

The margin of victory could have been much greater but Want prevented further goals, especially when he kept out a goalbound free-kick from Broadhurst on 79 minutes.

Glassboys boss Gary Hackett claimed: "Dunkirk were struggling to hang on to us at times and the game finished up closer than it should have been.

"We should have finished it off earlier. But the most important thing is that we won and we're through to the next round."

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