The Lilywhites underwent a tough examination at Milton Road against a Stourbridge side that were in equal parts skilful, direct and petulant. Second half strikes from Adrian Cambridge, Dave Theobald and David Kolodynski secured a fourth successive win and maintained the team’s unbeaten start to the season, but there were times when the visitors looked the more comfortable of the two teams.

Team news first: a fit James Krause resumed duties at left back, Joey Abbs moving to the right and displacing Liam Nicell who shortly before the game was sent home with an upset stomach. The rest of the line-up was as last Monday, the only change being Ryan Wade on the bench.

Kolodynski is pulled down for City's penalty

From the whistle, City knew they were in a match. Stourbridge passed the ball well and apart from an effort chalked off for offside, City didn’t have much to show in the first quarter of an hour.

Indeed, City were forced to defend hard, especially when on six minutes Josh Craddock tried his luck, only for Adrian Cambridge to clear off the line. But gradually City found a little rhythm and passes began to tell. Something else also became apparent: referee Steve Artis wasn’t always wonderfully well positioned to spot what was going on. Quite early in the piece, the two number tens, Kolodynski and Jamie Oliver, began to niggle at one another. A tap here, a push there. Trivial and easily contained. However, Mr Artis seemed to favour the centre circle and simply didn’t get close enough to the action to defuse problems before they started. So when the two players tangled as Kolodynski closed in on goal, he was in no position to make a ruling. His assistant raised his flag, the two consulted and a free-kick awarded to City and a yellow to Oliver when the Lilywhites’ fans were calling for penalty and a red card.

However, when Kolodynski was hauled down on 37 minutes by Paul McCone, a spot kick was awarded, only for Ashley Fuller to place his effort too close to Lewis Solly, who didn’t have to work too hard to keep the ball out.

Just as City thought they had played out the half without conceding, Drew Canavan gave the home fans a real scare when he headed Paul Lloyd’s cross over when he really should have hit the target. With the scores level, it was the visitors who had looked the more likely to take the lead in the first 45 minute.

Adie Cambridge celebrates City's opener

The second-half began with City showing more authority. When the opening goal came, it was thanks to Cambridge’s raking shot that found its way low through a crowded penalty area and into the net on 49 minutes. A glanced header by Theobald on 54 was perhaps a range-finder for later and Kolodynski’s toe-poke to intercept a weak back pass was well saved by Solly as City began to look more settled. James Krauses’ skidding shot was stopped at the near post and just past the hour, Kolodynski was through, hesitated with the shot and was well tackled by McCone who then instantly blotted his copybook by fouling the striker.

City’s second came about after Krause had been fouled off the ball, giving Cambridge the chance to send in a curling free-kick that eluded the defence but found Theobald’s head: 2-0 and 26 minutes to go.

Meanwhile, Mr Artis was offering his own brand of entertainment. Ryan Rowe was found to be shaking Krause very warmly by the throat, only to receive a warning word rather than the predicted red card. And when a penalty was awarded on 77, it was received with both gratitude and mystification by the visitors. As is so often the case, Barrett made the save and Rowe went unrewarded. A key, critical moment of the match: if he had scored, the game was still alive and there for the taking. As it was, City ensured the result when Kolodynski turned in Fuller’s scruffy effort on 85 and that was that.

Were City lucky? They took their chances and Stourbridge didn’t. The yellow card count of 6-2 to the visitors tells its own story too. Not the prettiest of games, but one in which the requisite grit and determination were on display.

Four consecutive victories and five in total; two draws; top of the league.

Post match reaction Gary Roberts That was a good win for us against a tough and physical Stourbridge side...more