Premier Division semi-finals review

The Glassboys had booked their place in Saturday`s final by beating Workington AFC 24 hours earlier in slightly better conditions!

Nantwich, who finished fifth in the regular season, were playing in the end-of-season play-offs for the first time since 2009 but faced a daunting task in the north east which decided to chuck some extremely unseasonal weather at them during the game.

But the Dabbers gave a Moors side who finished as runners-up to Blyth Spartans, a real run for their money. Following a rather nervy and goalless opening 45 minutes, Kallum Griffiths broke the deadlock by giving the home side a 68th minute lead with a neatly-taken free-kick.

The Moors doubled their advantage with 10 minutes remaining of normal time when Andrew Johnson cut inside and found the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

The majority in the freezing 882 crowd celebrated at the final whistle as they can now prepare for Saturday`s final which, unusually for the play-off system, actually pits the teams finishing second and third against each other.

And it promises to be a tight affair as both games in the regular season ended in draws!

A thriller at the War Memorial Ground in front of a crowd of 1,628 ended with an extra-time victory for the Glassboys but the visitors pushed Gary Hackett’s men all the way, equalising twice – the second time three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the 90 minutes. In the end they were finally beaten by Jordan Archer’s powerful, rising shot midway through the first period of extra-time.

Stourbridge held a slender 1-0 lead at the break, thanks to Stuart Pierpoint’s glancing header from Tom Tonks’s free-kick after 33 minutes, but Workington upped their tempo after the break and were deservedly level on 69 minutes as Dave Symington found the bottom corner with a direct free-kick from 25 yards.

Stourbridge were ahead again seven minutes later, however, as leading scorer Luke Benbow curled a cross in from the right that eluded both Archer and Reds` keeper Aaron Tayler before drifting into the far corner.

It seemed that might be enough, but Workington, showing no ill effects from the long journey and four games in the previous nine days, continued to press and when confusion between keeper Matt Gould and Leon Broadhurst led to the midfielder conceding a needless corner, Dan Wordsworth rose highest to power a header beyond Gould into the top corner.

And it was Archer who made the decisive break-through with seven minutes of the extra 30 played as he turned Wordsworth 30 yards out, advanced towards the area and struck the ball high past Taylor.

Follow us: @evostikleague on Twitter | Facebook www.facebook.com/evostikleague