Stourbridge Fanzine

STOURBRIDGE fell to their heaviest defeat of the season at high flying Cambridge City whose incisive attacking football proved too much for the visitors to handle.

The final scoreline may have slightly flattered the home side, with Stourbridge enjoying a good spell of pressure immediately after pulling a goal back to make it 3-1 with an hour gone, but Cambridge finished the stronger to add a further three goals.

City, who had been beaten at home to Truro last Saturday, started purposely and asked early questions of the Stourbridge defence.

In the 7th minute Steve Gentle combined with Neil Midgeley down the right and he squared the ball low across the box towards John Frendo who miscued his shot.

Three minutes later City took the lead from the penalty spot after a foul from Sam Smith on Frendo just inside the box.

Midgeley drove home the resulting spot-kick to put the hosts on their way.

Stourbridge went close to an equaliser though on 24 minutes with a right-wing corner from Aaron Drake being met by Jamie Oliver at the near post, but the full-back's header was too close to Zac Barrett in the City goal.

The home side responded four minutes later with Midgeley playing the ball inside from the right to Frendo and his awkward low shot had to be touched round by Solly.

From the subsequent corner taken by Adie Cambridge, Dave Theobald was allowed a free header, but his looping header was grabbed by Solly on his line. However on the half-hour mark City doubled their advantage. Cambridge found Frendo and he twisted past Nathan Bennett on the left-hand side of the area before hitting a low cross-shot that was turned home by Gentle in-front of goal.

City almost added another two minutes after the re-start with James Krause flashing a shot narrowly wide of Solly's right-hand post.

At the other end the ball dropped to Ryan Rowe towards the edge of the box and he clipped a shot just over the bar.

With 54 minutes played Stourbridge fell further behind as Krause delivered in a good cross from the left that Solly pushed away under pressure, but the ball dropped to Midgeley who fired home from a tightish angle.

Two minutes later Ashley Fuller drove forward and drilled in a rising shot that Solly turned round the post.

But Ryan Rowe threw the Glassboys a lifeline on the hour mark as Sam Rock slipped the ball into the path of the visitors top scorer and from the left-hand side of the area, he tucked a low shot past Barrett. The best spell of the game followed for Gary Hackett's men who suddenly forced the hosts into some desperate defending.

However, any hopes of a remarkable recovery proved shortlived as a City counter attack on 69 minutes paved the way for their fourth goal.

Lee Chaffey broke up an attack and drove forward from half-way towards the Stourbridge box to open up the visitors defence and the move ended with Frendo curling the ball beyond Solly to restore the three-goal cushion.

Six minutes later it was five as a left-wing corner from Cambridge picked out Theobald whose header glanced inside Solly's left-hand post.

Sub Tony Burke then set up Midgeley who screwed a first-time shot inches over the bar, but City grabbed their sixth goal ten minutes from time from another corner with Theobald crashing a volley past a helpless Solly.