Beardsley sinks Stourbridge

Chris Beardsley scored a brace for Stevenage as they brought Stourbridge's FA Cup adventure to an end with a 3-0 away win.

Gary Hackett's Evostick Southern Premier League minnows were the conquerors of Plymouth in round one, but Beardsley make sure they came unstuck against the League One high-flyers. Two goals in 12 second-half minutes from the former Kettering frontman did the damage before Robin Shroot put the icing on the cake late on and ensured the Glassboys' first foray into the FA Cup second round ended in disappointment. The home fans were quickly applauding an act of heroism as Nathan Bennett lunged full-length to clear Ben May's 14th minute effort off the line. More underdog heroics followed when Lewis Solly acrobatically saved Luke Freeman's 15-yard volley two minutes before half-time. But the romance of the cup failed the long-serving goalkeeper as, following his latest save from a Michael Bostwick strike on 65 minutes, the ball landed at the feet of Beardsley, who netted from close range. The striker put the tie beyond doubt 13 minutes from time, slotting home nonchalantly after substitute Byron Harrison's right-wing dribble. Shroot converted into an open goal for Boro's third in stoppage time after Solly had saved at the feet of Harrison.