Harborough Town 4-2 Stourbridge - Report
A FRUSTRATING second-round qualifying exit lay in store for Stourbridge on the road, as Liam McDonald's ten men crashed to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Harborough Town.
The Bees had a real buzz in their play, taking a swift lead on five minutes through Riley O'Sullivan's nod into the near post from Connor Kennedy's precise pick-out from the flank.
Before the Glassboys could muster up a reaction, it was two, courtesy this time of Kennedy to turn goalscorer and turn home O'Sullivan's drilled centre on 18 minutes.
Ethan Freemantle would drag the visitors back into this one on the stroke of half-time, outmuscling the Harborough defence to work a pocket of space and lash into the bottom corner just past the half-hour mark.
A moment of controversy on the stroke of half-time appeared to turn this game significantly in Town's favour, when Ben Williams first found the roof of the net from a matter of yards, then saw his effort ruled out for offside before the officials ruled the goal could stand.
The encounter was well and truly done and dusted by the hour mark, as Luis Rose snapped a sweet 25-yard volley into the back of Tyrese Warmington's net on 49 minutes, followed by a second yellow for Will Grewal-Pollard ten minutes later to seemingly leave Stourbridge in the mire.
While it was a case of excellent Harborough game management thereafter, the Glassboys did snatch a goal back to their credit, Freemantle grabbing his second of the afternoon inside the penalty area in stoppage time.
