Stourbridge 0, Rushall Olympic 0

STOURBRIDGE couldn't find a way past 10-man Rushall Olympic during a Boxing Day battle at Amblecote.

Former Glassboys striker Karl Hawley saw red in the second half after an incident with Stour skipper Tom Tonks but the hosts failed to take advantage as the league leaders showed their fight.

A frantic first half saw Rushall quickly out of the blocks and asserting early pressure on the home side.

It was the visitors that created the first real opening as Alex Reid was played in by Hawley on nine minutes. The forward could only drag his effort wide of the far post with only keeper Matt Gould to beat.

Stour eventually settled into the clash and worked a couple of chances of their own as Matt Dodd and Jack Duggan both fired over.

It soon became an end-to-end affair with both teams keen to break quickly.

Reid passed up a similar chance to his first on 23 minutes after racing on to a Hawley flick on.

Though defences were to remain on top until the break, it was Stour who ended the half the better.

Tonks and Darryl Westlake drilled efforts from the edge of the box just wide before Dan Scarr headed over late on.

There was nothing between both sides throughout a combative and frantic first period but Stour could take confidence from the way they ended the half.

However, they never quite managed to carry that momentum into the second half.

They did work an opening on 51 minutes when Benbow attempted to deflect a Duggan drive from just inside the box, but again keeper Jose Veiga got down to it.

The game had just reached a lull when Hawley reacted to pressure from Tonks on the hour mark.

The Stour skipper hassled the ex-Glassboy as he looked to shield the ball and switch play in the half way line. However, Hawley reacted to the close attention by lashing out at his former team-mate as both men were on the deck. Referee Darren Wilding showed a red card after consulting his assistant.

Stour then passed up more chances as they looked to make their numerical advantage count.

Kayelden Brown miscued at the far post on 75 minutes before Benbow spurned another opening two minutes later.

Credit must go to the Rushall rearguard as they continued to stifle the hosts and dug in to earn a share of the spoils.

Stour, however, will look back at the moments they were on top in the contest, particularly at the end of the first half and then with the extra man, when they should have done more to force themselves ahead.

Stourbridge: Gould, Green, Westlake, Tonks (c), Duggan, Scarr, Dodd, (Canavan 84), Broadhurst (Gator 79), Benbow, Brown, Lait (Archer 73).

Unused Subs: Pierpoint, Smikle.

Rushall: Veiga, Christophorou, Cooper, Forde (c), Hull, Whittall, Smith, Partodikromo (McKenzie 67), Hawley, Diop (Mugisha 61), Reid (Luckie 79).

Subs: Bottomer, Fitzpatrick.

Att: 1,431