Nantwich Town bowed out of the FA Cup after three first half goals from Stourbridge saw the visitors claim a 3-1 win, writes Steve Sharman.
Leon Broadhurst opened the scoring early on with a header before Luke Benbow fired in from range and Broadhurst added another with a close range finish.
Josh Hancock pulled one back from the penalty spot for the hosts.
But after Sam Hall’s red card for two bookings, the Dabbers were unable to find a way back in the game.
The Dabbers started well and inside the first couple of minutes, Hancock found Ryan Brooke who fired narrowly wide of the near post.
But despite starting well, it was Stourbridge who took the lead on eight minutes as Broadhurst leapt highest at the back post to head Chris Lait’s cross in off the bar.
Having gone behind, Nantwich looked for a way back in the game as Sean Cooke shot straight at Matt Gould and Brooke was inches from converting a Cooke corner from the left.
Hancock then looked to have been brought down in the box but referee David McNamara pointed for a corner instead.
Brooke then saw his turn and shot palmed away by Gould before Hall was given his first yellow card after appearing to slip and catch Kayelden Brown.
The resulting free kick from Benbow flew narrowly past the post before the striker struck on the half hour mark as his effort from the edge of the box flew past Dave Parton and into the net giving the visitors a two-goal lead.
The game was all but over on 36 minutes as Broadhurst lashed in from close range after the Dabbers had failed to clear a Lait corner from the right.
Moments later the Dabbers had a way back into the game after Cooke was felled by Tom Tonks, Hancock stepped up and smashed the penalty into the net.
But having got a way back into the game, captain Sam Hall was controversially shown a second yellow card by McNamara as Nantwich were reduced to ten men for the remaining 50 minutes.
The second period began with an early chance for Stour as Benbow was denied a second goal by Curtis Jones who cleared the striker’s effort off the goal line.
The Dabbers were struggling to create much in the final third as the visitors were happy to hold onto their two-goal lead, snuffing out any potential threat.
Despite the introductions of Theo Stair, Osebi Abadaki and Dave Walker, Nantwich were unable to produce a comeback although the game ended with the injury to Justin Richards who was stretchered off with a suspected dislocated kneecap.
Nantwich are back in action this coming Tuesday in the league as they travel to Marine for the second time this season. Kick off is at 7.45pm.
Nantwich Town: Parton, White, Touray, C. Jones, Harrison, Bell (Abadaki 74′), Hancock (Walker 84′), Hall, Brooke (Stair 78′), Cooke, Riley. Subs not used: Quinn (GK), Sanders, Griggs.
(pictures courtesy of Jonathan White)
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