Cole Dasilva’s 88th-minute penalty earns Bishop’s Stortford a 1-1 draw at Stourbridge in Southern League Premier Central

Cole Dasilva’s 88th-minute penalty earned Bishop’s Stortford a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Stourbridge in Pitching In Southern League, Premier Central on Saturday (March 15).

He cancelled out Alexander Jones’ 41st-minute opener for the Glassboys as it ended honours even in the West Midlands.

The Blues are 15th in the table, eight points clear of the relegation zone, with seven matches remaining.

Steve Castle’s men, who have only lost once in their last seven outings, are back at home for Non-League Day this Saturday (March 22) when they entertain seventh-placed Harborough Town.

Stortford’s Nahum Melvin-Lambert had the first chance at The War Memorial Ground when he pulled an effort wide from Presley Evans’ through ball.

Blues goalkeeper Elliot Krasniqi saved smartly from Jai Verma before the visitors had penalty appeals for handball by Jordaan Brown turned down.

The 10th-placed hosts turned up the pressure and could have taken the lead during two separate goalmouth scrambles.

But they did break the deadlock four minutes before half time when captain Jones bundled the ball home after Stortford failed to clear a flicked-on long throw.

Verma volleyed over for the Glassboys after the break while Luka Chalwell tested home shot-stopper Lewys Benjamin, who had the sun in his eyes, with a dipping effort.

The Blues were handed the chance to level matters with two minutes remaining when Joel Kettle flapped his hand at the ball when he missed his header attempting to clear substitute Luke Warner-Eley’s dangerous cross.

Dasilva stepped up and, although Benjamin dived the right way, found the bottom corner with a powerful strike.

The Glassboys appealed for a penalty of their own when Tyrone Barnett went down, but the referee turned it down.

Stourbridge: Benjamin, Rowe, Lewis, Brown (booked 51), Kettle, Verma (Gouveia 88), Moore, Jones (Pais 82), Batchelor, Masidi (booked 37, Ranger 88), Barnett. Not used: Freemantle, Smith.

Blues: Krasniqi, Dasilva, Oluwatimilehin (Russell 63), Thompson (Ogwuazor 69), Haines, Melvin-Lambert, Scott (Charles 69), Freeman (Warner-Eley 75), Chalwell, Evans (booked 68, Akinbulumo 82), Amu.

Attendance: 522.