Battling Grantham Town share the points with Stourbridge

Northern Premier League

Premier Division

Grantham Town 1

Stourbridge 1

Grantham Town toughed out a draw after they conceded in the opening minutes.

The Gingerbreads found themselves under the cosh immediately but battled out the rest of the first half, with an equaliser coming five mintues before the break.

The visitors enjoyed much of the possession in the first 45 minutes, but a far more exciting second half saw Town take the game to Stourbridge.

Grantham went a goal behind in the third minute, with outstretched keeper Jake Turner unable to get even a finger on Chris Knight’s effort across goal and in at the far post.

Both sides had further half-chances, the Gingerbreads’ best being Liam Read’s speculative 20th minute shot that rose over the bar.

Town got their reward and finally beat a resolute Stourbridge defence in the 40th minute when Danny Meadows headed in following a goalmouth scramble.

The second half was evenly matched with the Gingerbreads looking the more likely to score.

Two minutes in, Stefan Bilyk had a chance to shoot but chose to square the ball to Meadows whose point blank effort brought an excellent reaction save from Coleman.

Drew Canavan had an opportunity to put the visitors back in front in the 53rd minute, scything through the Grantham defence but then somehow managing to fire wide of the target.

Stourbridge cleared Scott Hellewell’s 59th minute shot off the line as the home side continued to pressure.

The best strike of the match came in the 72nd minute after Knight jinked his way around Town’s defenders and let fly, but Turner matched his effort with an equally elegant diving save.

Hellewell had another chance to be the hero in the 80th minute but managed to sidefoot the ball over with the goal gaping in front of him.

Coleman matched Turner for excellence in goal when he denied Read in the 87th minute with a one-handed tip away after the Grantham number 10 had been set up well from a Sam Purcicoe long ball.

Grantham and Stourbridge had one further chance apiece to put the game to bed in added time, but both Meadows and Leon Broadhurst respectively fired just off target.

Grantham Town: Turner, Purcicoe, Wholey, Kay, Hellewell, Miveld, Hurst (Rawdon, 79), Lewis, Bilyk (Emmott, 64), Read, Meadows. Subs not used: Johnson, Divver, Rhule.