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FA Cup 1st round replay: Stourbridge 3 Whitehawk 0 - Report and pictures

Stourbridge and FA Cup glory might have made familiar bedfellows in recent years but even by the recent standards of Gary Hackett's team, this was a special night.[gallery]

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A visit from League One Northampton Town on December 4 is all the Glassboys deserve, after a sensational performance to knock out Whitehawk.

Luke Benbow's second half brace, after Chris Lait had fired the hosts in front, sent Stour sailing into the second round for the sixth time in four years in front of a boisterous and ultimately jubilant 1,993-strong crowd.

Of all those excellent cup runs, this has been arguably been the hardest, with Hackett's team battling through five straight away games before last night's first round replay.

Whitehawk, who play one level above Stour in National League South, might also have liked to add fortunate to the list. The Sussex side arrived at Amblecote still smarting from the perceived injustice of Javier Favarel's "winner" - which came after the referee blew for full-time - in the first meeting nine games ago.

By the end of last night, the visitors could have no complaints. Stourbridge, driven on by the marvellous Lait, were simply too strong and too good as they recorded yet another fantastic and unforgettable win against higher-ranked opposition.

Hackett made nine changes to the team which drew 2-2 at Spennymoor on Saturday, a statistic quickly explained by the manager's desire to keep his regular starting XI as fresh as possible.

Whitehawk were without Ross Flitney, the keeper having been sent-off at the end of the first game for his protestations at Favarel's "winner".

Spanish youngster Adria Munoz replaced him between the sticks and was called into action early as Stour made a bright and busy start. The keeper was alert to punch the loose ball clear after Lait had failed to make clean contact with Dan Scarr's flick-on.

Moments later, it was Stour keeper Matt Gould breathing a huge sigh of relief after Danny Mills squandered a glorious chance to put the visitors in front. The striker got in behind the home defence and Gould came flying out, narrowly missing the opposition player. Mills, where others might have fallen in the hope of winning a spot-kick, stayed on his feet but, off-balance with the goal at his mercy, pushed his shot weakly into the side-netting.

The pace of Lait and Matt Dodd was causing the visitors plenty of problems and two almost combined to give their team the lead. Munoz first escaped embarrassment by getting his toe to the ball ahead of Lait. after being sold woefully short by Chris M'Bounghou's backpass. The ball fell straight to Dodd on the edge of the box but again the keeper saved his team with a well-executed tackle which had the home crowd appealing in vain for a penalty.

Lait's pace then almost caught out Paul Reid, with the defender fortunate to see his clearance cannon off the winger and over the bar. The frenetic action then continued with Torres glancing a header wide from a vicious Mills cross, before Stour went agonisingly close to opening the scoring with half-time approaching, as Benbow's shot flashed wide of the far post with Dodd inches away from connecting.

It was the kind of "if only" moment you wondered whether the hosts might come to look back on with regret but just six minutes after the restart it was forgotten, when Lait fired the Glassboys in front.

Taking possession 25 yards from goal, the winger worked the opening through sheer perseverance, racing round the outside of the full-back before firing an unstoppable left-footed drive, of which Munoz almost seemed to dive out of the way before it crashed into the back of the net.

Nine minutes later the lead was two and again it owed much to sheer determination on the part of Lait. Having seemingly lost possession following a driving run forward, he merely continued his run, prompting the out-rushing Munoz to panic and fumble the ball into the path of Benbow, who fired the ball into the empty net.

Stunned Whitehawk pushed forward ever more desperately in the search for a route back into the game and there were some predictably nervy moments in the home box, though the home defence held firm with the minimum of fuss.

And with 14 minutes remaining the hosts were breathing easy as Benbow sealed the win in style. The striker won a free-kick 25 yards from goal and stepped up to send it over the wall and into the bottom corner, the icing on the cake on the latest memorable night at Amblecote.

Glassboys (4-4-2): Gould, Green, Westlake, Scarr, Smikle, Dodd (Canavan 82), Broadhurst, Tonks © (Birch 67), Lait, Benbow, Brown (Duggan 67) Subs not used: Pierpoint, Heath, Hague, Malhotra (gk).

Whitehawk (4-4-2): Munoz, Southam, M'Bounghou (Marimon 82), Reid, Hamilton, Connolly (Rodriguez 72), Favarel, Torres © (West 82), Adbulla, Mills Subs not used: Tagbo.

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