Stourbridge 3 Needham Market 1 - Report

Manager Gary Hackett was quietly pleased with his team's performance. "We created lots of first-half chances but also missed plenty. Callum (Powell) and Kaiman (Anderson) combined well and although we took our foot off the pedal in the second half, we're on a nice unbeaten league run to keep us in the mix ahead of next week's big cup game".

The Glassboys missed a great chance to take the lead after just 40 seconds when Callum Powell's first time pass into the penalty area from the left found Kaiman Anderson totally unmarked, but he blazed the ball high over the bar. Robbie Thompson-Brown's 25 yard shot was then collected low down by goalkeeper Jake Jessup after 15 minutes and Powell went close again after 25 minutes.

Anderson redeemed himself for his earlier miss by turning provider when he burst down the left after 28 minutes and squared the ball for Powell to side-foot home from close range. Anderson then flicked Powell's 31st minute cross just over before forcing a good save from Jessup with a snapshot seconds later.

But Anderson was soon on the score-sheet himself when he thumped a loose ball past Jessup from ten yards to double the home lead in the 34th minute in one-way traffic. Even better followed for the Glassboys as Powell grabbed his second goal of the game in first half injury time when he cut in from the left and his low shot from the edge of the area deceived Jessup to trickle into the net.

Unsurprisingly, the Glassboys eased off in the second period, although Aaron Forde forced a corner as he tried to flick past Jessup in the 52nd minute and Powell struck the side netting in the 59th minute with Anderson free in the centre as a better option.

Home goalkeeper James Wren remained a spectator for much of the afternoon, although the out-of-form visitors notched a scrappy 75th minute consolation goal when Tariq Issa turned to fire home a low shot. Anderson almost added a fourth goal but struck the post with a clear sight on goal with ten minutes remaining.

TEAMS

Stourbridge: James Wren; Aaron Hayden, Jordaan Brown (Aris Christophorou

65), Paul McCone (c), Darryl Westlake, Aaron Forde (Jake Evans 69), Callum

Powell, Leon Broadhurst, Kaiman Anderson, Robbie Thompson-Brown, Brad Birch

(Chekaine Steele 65). Subs Not Used: Greg Mills, Niall Maher (GK)

Needham Market: Jake Jessup; Jake Dye, Callum Sturgess, Jeremiah Kamanzi,

Sam Squire, Daniel Morphew, Joseph Marsden (Adam Mills 69), Gareth Heath

(c), Luke Ingram, Jamie Griffiths (Reece Dobson 60), Tariq Issa. Subs Not

Used: Conor McLaughlin, Tyler Rose, Finlay Shorten (GK)

Referee: Richie Watkins Attendance: 621