Rushden and Diamonds 3 Stourbridge 2 - Report
Rushden grabbed a late winner against a Stourbridge side more used to playing cup football recently.
The game was in doubt until a morning pitch inspection with Stourbridge desperate to catch up on their league games.
They started well, recent signing Anthony Dwyer going clear on ten minutes but he could only shoot straight at the keeper.
Curtis Tilt fired over on 21 minutes but new signing Jamie Willets made no mistake six minutes later when he fired in right footed from a corner.
It was all Stourbridge in the first half and Aaron Lloyd and Tilt exchanged a neat 1-2 before the break, the former shooting over.
There was a bit of a turnaround in the second half, James Wren in the Stourbridge goal having to be on his toes early on and make a couple of good saves, Nabil Shariff also going close.
Wre. also saved a Jordan McLeod penalty on 54 but Tom Lorraine followed up to score.
Two minutes later the hosts were 2-1 up when Ben Acquaye produced a stunning shot which gave Wren no chance.
Stourbridge equalised though on 70 minutes when Brad Birch broke through and sent the ball goalwards but a defender cleared off the line, only for Lloyd to head home the resulting corner
But it still looked like the home side may get the winner and so it proved three minutes from time when Jack Ashton scrambled home. It could have been four in injury time but Rushden saw a shot go over the bar.
Stourbridge: Wren; Green; Willets;Tonks;Taylor (Landell 82); Bellis; Carter; Birch; Lloyd; Dwyer (Cook 80); Tilt (Grocott 80).
Subs not used: Nicholls;Price
