Evo-Stik Northern Premier League:

Stourbridge 4, Frickley Athletic 1

STOURBRIDGE remain right in the thick of a tightly conjested fight for play-off places after pulling off a compelling 4-1 win over a Frickley Athletic side who are staring relegation in the face.

Frickley arrived at Amblecote on the back of eight straight league defeats, but that counted for nothing when they took a shock lead in the 26th minute.

Stourbridge central defender Kennedy Digie completely mis-judged the bounce of a high ball pumped into the goalmouth enabling Frickley's Tyler Williams to get in between Digie and Glassboys goalkeeper Matt Gould to head home.

Stourbridge's reponse was immediate and they levelled within a minute, Kayelden Brown heading the ball down for leading marksman Luke Benbow to lash home a spectacular volley to register his 30th league goal of the term.

Frickley defended doggedly from that point but were finally undone by two goals within the space of 60 seconds.

Goalkeeper Seb Malkowski failed to hold a Benbow free kick at the foot of the post and Brown pounced on the loose ball to fire home.

Before Frickley knew what had hit them, Stourbridge made it 3-1 in the 56th minute when the impressive Ethan Jones produced a defence splitting run and cross from the left flank for Tom Tonks to tap home in front of an open goal.

Frickley were handed a possible life-line back into the game just four minutes later when referee Neil Pratt judged that Stourbridge central defender Stuart Pierpoint had handled the ball.

But Frickley's Luke Mangham wastefully fired the resulting penalty shot well wide of the mark.

Stourbridge duly wrapped up the points when Ethan Jones drilled home a low, raking shot from the left which flew into the net underneath the luckless Malkowski.

The attention now turns to Monday's short trip to Rushall Olympic (3pm kick-off).

With two games remaining, Stourbridge can ill-afford any slip up as just five points separate second placed Spennymoor down to seventh in the table Whitby Town.

Stourbridge: Gould; Green, Westlake, Tonks, Digie, Pierpoint, Brown ( Archer 67), Broadhurst (Dodd 67), Benbow, Jones (Canavan 73) Birch. subs not used: Westwood, Wedderburn.

Attendance: 844