Stourbridge are savaged by The Beast

ADEBAYO AKINFENWA is big enough to take stick for his giant frame, but the teasing by Stourbridge’s fans would have provided The Beast with extra enjoyment at his late winner that knocked out the lowestranked side left in the FA Cup.

It had seemed non-League Stourbridge, 147th on the football ladder, would at least take Wycombe back to their War Memorial Ground for a replay as reward for a fine performance against a side three divisions higher.

But 16-stone Akinfenwa, dubbed the strongest player in the world, shredded those dreams by biding his time to head a winner with just seven minutes left.

It was a dramatic climax to a tie that for long periods looked to be heading for an upset of epic proportions.

‘I’m extremely disappointed,’ said Stourbridge boss Gary Hackett. ‘We were outstanding. We’ve come here very much the underdogs, but you’d be hard pressed to say who was the semi-professional team.

‘It was very fine margins. We hit the bar and then moments later Akinfenwa gets space for the first time in the game.’

Backed by some 2,500 fans, Stourbridge, of the seventh tier, bossed the first half but Wycombe steadied themselves at the break and showed the form that has seen them win eight of nine League Two games to sit in the play-offs.

Wycombe went ahead in the 49th minute when Luke O’Nien teed up Sam Wood to steer home but Stourbridge levelled with 20 minutes left when a high ball into the box fell for Dan Scarr, who prodded home.

The non-League side were unlucky nine minutes later when Tom Tonks’ cross drifted over everyone and smacked the underside of the bar. But with the finish in sight, Akinfenwa had his moment from Joe Jacobson’s cross.

‘They were the better team for spells but a moment of quality won the game,’ said Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth. ‘It was a huge banana skin and they did everything they could to make us slip on it.’