Bromsgrove Sporting 4 Stourbridge 1 - Report
Nine-man Stourbridge paid the price for a double dismissal but in truth were second best throughout a 4-1 defeat at Bromsgrove Sporting.
Andre Landell steered the Glassboys in front against the run of play in the 11th minute but Nathan Hayward, playing his second game for Stour since signing from Bromsgrove, was booked twice in five first-half minutes.
The first foul led to the leveller with defender Tom Taylor found by the free-kick and gifted the freedom of the box to tuck beyond James Wren with Hayward’s late arrival on livewire Charlie Dowd giving the visitors a mountain to climb with less than half an hour played.
A huge melee involving both benches followed and while Bromsgrove hardly flowed, they made their pressure count five minutes before half-time when Will Shorrock was guided down the left of the box to nutmeg Wren from a seemingly-impossible angle.
Stourbridge remained in a game that lacked quality but the task was made impossible midway through the second half.
Brad Birch was given a straight red card for catching Glassboys legend Leon Broadhurst in the corner after referee Richard Cattell consulted his assistant who was no more than two yards away.
Try as they might, the nine could not land a blow and a former player confirmed the inevitable a minute after stepping off the bench.
Greg Mills was found in space and jinked back and forth before getting the better of Josh Ezewele with his shot squirming through Wren’s arms.
A lofted ball over the top picked out Mikey Taylor to lob Wren in added time to complete the scoring.
Glassboys: Wren, Ezewele, Brown (Grocott, 80), Hayward, Williams, Willets, Bellis (Turton, 61), Tonks, Landell, Birch, Tilt (Dwyer, 82). Unused subs: Carter, Price (g/k).
