Preston Grasshoppers vs. Stourbridge, 8th February 2020, 3pm
Hoppers make the long journey south this coming Saturday to face Stourbridge looking for their second double of this season. The game at Lightfoot Green back in late October went the way of the home side thanks to a late Jake Squirrell penalty after Hoppers had squandered a seventeen points to nil lead built up during the first half hour.
This Saturday’s opponents are currently in the top half of the table in sixth position dropping a couple of places since we last met and either scoring or conceding points heavily in recent weeks.
Meetings last season between the two sides amassed a total of one hundred and forty four points with the game at Lightfoot Green being a nervous one for the home supporters as the Hoppers leading margin opened and closed throughout. A last minute Conor Trueman try giving a little more breathing space. The home side eventually hung onto a six point winning margin which gave them a double win over the Midlands side. Apart from the two victories over Stourbridge, Hoppers only other double successes last season came in the games against the three relegated sides.
The all time playing record between next Saturday’s opponents has Stourbridge having won eighteen matches to Hoppers sixteen and the League record couldn’t be closer with both sides winning fifteen. The overall record includes a forty four points to nineteen Powergen Cup victory to Stourbridge during the 1995/6 season at Lightfoot Green, which until a few seasons ago was their biggest winning margin over Hoppers whilst a thirty two points to three victory in their promotion season was the Hoppers best effort.
Team News
1. Oga MABAYA
2. Chris TAYLOR
3. John BLANCHARD
4. Adam HOWARD
5. Euan NAYLOR
6. Ryan CARLSON
7. Ben DORRINGTON
8. Ally MURRAY
9. Jake SQUIRRELL
10. Joe PRIOR
11. Jacob BROWNE
12. Sam STOTT
13. Nick GREGSON
14. Tyler SPENCE
15. Jordan DORRINGTON
REPLACEMENTS: 16. O. TRIPPIER, 17. T. SLOANE, 18. T. HARRISON, 19. W. DAVIDSON, 20. C. TRUEMAN
