Bromsgrove Sporting 0 (Red Card - Hull 78')
Stourbridge 1 (Mills 48')

A second half Greg Mills strike led Stourbridge to a 1-0 Emirates FA Cup First Round Qualifying win over Bromsgrove Sporting.

The only goal of the game came three minutes into the half, as the Glassboys winger powered home hard and low from inside the

box.

Bromsgrove enjoyed a lively start to the game, as Nathan Hayward had a shot saved by the feet of James Wren inside the area

before Robbie Thompson-Brown shot wide from an inviting position inside the first 10 minutes.

The opportunities continued to come from Bromsgrove, as Josh Quaynor floated a lovely ball into the box, which saw Joe Hull

draw a flying save from Wren, which was followed by Shaquille McDonald firing wide from a promising position.

Charlie Dowd shot narrowly wide from 25 yards just shy of the 20 minute mark, before Stourbridge enjoyed a spell of pressure,

as Michael Taylor teed up Will Grocott inside the box, who had a shot blocked, with Taylor himself unable to make the most of

a one on one effort soon after, as he was charged down well by keeper Tony Breeden.

Hull had another header saved by Wren on the half hour mark and the half came to a lively end, as Sporting manager Bren Kelly

was sent to the stands, followed by Will Shorrock having a penalty claim ignored after being allegedly grappled in the area.

The goal came after Breeden initially saved well from a close range Taylor effort; an inability to clear the ball saw Mills

make space for himself in the box and dispatching confidently into the bottom corner.

Taylor almost bagged a second an hour in, but his shot was kept out smartly via an oncoming Breeden.

More chances came for Bromsgrove as the half progressed, as McDonald had a brace of efforts blocked in quick succession,

before substitute John Pykett skied handsomely over from a decent position.

A foul by Hull on Taylor 12 minutes from time saw the Bromsgrove defender given his second yellow card of the afternoon and

subsequent marching orders and despite chances late on for McDonald, who missed the target from 10 yards and Dowd, who saw a

strike from range almost fumbled over the line by Wren, it was not to be for the home side.

Stourbridge boss Ian Long reflected: "It was a tough game, it's a tough place to come.

"Fair play to Bromsgrove, after going to ten men they chucked the kitchen sink at us and there could have been more goals at

either end but I'm just delighted to get through."

Bromsgrove manager Bren Kelly expressed his disappointment: "I thought we deserved more from the game but the reaction I was

looking for after last week's defeat (vs Banbury United) was there, which is pleasing."

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Entertainment Rating: 3/5

Player of the Match: Michael Taylor (Stourbridge)

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REFEREES

Mr Paul Stonier (referee)
Mr Bradley Tonks (assistant)
Mr James Scerri (assistant)

Report: Max Banner

From the Express & Star Website

Bromsgrove Sporting 0 Stourbridge 1

Mills bagged his first goal of the season with the 48th-minute winner, collecting Will Grocott’s pass on the inside right of the penalty area and switching the ball to his right foot to fire low past keeper Tony Breeden.

Victory could have been more emphatic for the Glassboys, with Mike Taylor twice wasting one-on-one chances, but Sporting really forced them to defend in the final 20 minutes despite having defender Joe Hull sent off and manager Brendan Kelly sent to the stands. But Stourbridge boss Long, fully aware of the club’s previous Cup heroics under previous boss Gary Hackett, was just pleased to get through to Monday’s second qualifying round draw. “That little bit of quality from Millsy made the difference,” said Long. “It was a well-taken goal after we had four or five passes inside their 18-yard box at a time when I thought we were having our best spell in the game. We’re still a work in progress and there was a lot in the performance I wasn’t happy with but it’s all about getting through to the next round and we did that.”

League rivals Sporting, however, started with plenty of vigour and Glassboys keeper James Wren was the busier in the early stages, blocking a Nathan Hayward shot and flying through the air to grab Hull’s header.

But the visitors had the best opportunities in the first half, with Taylor’s dangerous cross being cleared by Jack Wilson and then Taylor’s sloppy first touch from Grocott’s pass squandering the chance as Breeden advanced.

Sporting boss Kelly was sent off by Paul Stonier just before half-time after dissent to the assistant referee and after Mills scored Taylor should have made it 2-0 on the hour but again he let the hosts off the hook.

That signalled a late Sporting charge, despite Hull being red-carded on 79 minutes for pulling back Taylor for a second yellow. They thought they had an equaliser, only for Shaquille McDonald to fire into the side-netting and then Wren grabbed Charlie Dowd’s shot at the second attempt on the goalline before Shorrock’s header was saved in the final seconds.