Nailers deficiencies cruelly exposed

Manager Peter Duffield made wholesale changes to his side that lost 2-0 to Whitby Town on Saturday, with Regan Edridge and Lee Thompson dropped from the team and Jon Froggatt injured. Simon Harrison, Matt Varley and Kieran Wells all came into the starting line-up.

This was a night when the Nailers lack of pace and inventiveness was placed sharply into focus with the more athletic, pacy and genuinely more classy Stourbridge players ruthlessly exposing the deficiencies in the Belper side.

The first half proved to be dreamland for Stourbridge's supremely talented Luke Benbow who scored four goals to all but destroy Belper Town with still half of the game to play.

The first goal came for Stour after just 4 minutes when Ben Billingham broke clear down the left and cut inside to shoot, forcing Martin in to a good save.

Keyelden Brown attempted to side foot into the open net as the ball fell into his path, however Chris Jones was there to clear the ball off the line but direct from the clearance, Kyle Haynes found Benbow, who in turn volleyed the ball beyond Martin.

Stourbridge doubled their lead in the 14th minute with a corner from the right when the ball was fired in to the back post where Benbow was gifted a free header.

It took just 23 minutes for the Glassboys striker to notch his hat-trick when Benbow beat Matt Varley to the ball, then turned him well to run in on goal and dink the ball past the out-rushing 'keeper.

Just when things couldn't get any worse, Benbow hit his fourth goal on the stroke of half time. This time, Ian Ross lost possession inside his own half and Billingham stole in to bear down on goal and play a perfectly weighted low cross for Benbow to finish with consummate ease.

To the Nailers relief, Luke Benbow was substituted at half time with a hamstring strain and consequently the game saw a more even share of possession and chances in the second half.

James Martin enjoyed rather less action in the second 45 minutes, being called upon only once or twice throughout the half.

Meanwhile, Colin Marrison had the only decent chance of the game for Belper, after good work in the middle saw Ian Ross play a ball out right to Evan Garnett who played a firstitime cross for Marrison, who clipped the ball over the bar from 5 yards.

And that was a s good as it got for the Nailers on a night to forget.

Stourbridge: Dean Coleman, Luke Benbow (Brian Smikle 45), Will Richards, Kristian Ramsey-Dickson (Peter Till 45) Josh Morgan-Parker 74), Reece Hales, Louis Harris, Kyle Haynes, Leon Broadhurst, Kayelden Brown, Ben Billingham, Jordan Fitzpatrick. Subs: Andre Francis, Sam Tye.

Belper Town: James Martin, Chris Jones (Lee Thompson 67), Mark Dudley, Ian Ross, Matt Varley, Dan White (Regan Edridge 49), Colin Marrison, Steve Warne, Kieran Wells, Simon Harrison, Rob Stevenson (Evan Garnett 67). Subs: Mark Ward, Scott Low.

Referee: Mr Mark Howes (Solihull)

Attendance: 372