SWIFTS 1, BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS 0

JAMES Wood opened his Stourport Swifts account with a well-struck volley to steer Dave Titterton's side into the qualifying round of the FA Cup.

But the Walshes Meadow side made hard work of beating a team struggling in the Midland Alliance.

Wood's strike, on 19 minutes, rounded off an impressive spell from the home side which ended in Richard Ball turning on a Jan Mulders through-ball for his strike partner to volley home from 20-yards.

Swifts' summer signing from Oldbury fired another over the bar late in the half before Kerry Giddings steered a header wide from a Mark Jones free-kick.

The strike partnership looked to be gelling and, early in the second period, Wood threaded a pass behind the Boldmere defence but Ball blazed over the bar as visiting keeper Matt Knight narrowed the angle.

As the second half wore on, Boldmere began to gain in confidence and Paul Gregory latched onto a Steve Ulfig blunder only to fire wide with just goalkeeper Lee Evans blocking his path.

And the Alliance side should have been on level terms 13 minutes from time when Evans failed to deal with a through-ball and Nathan Gough nipped in only to shoot wide of the open goal from six yards.

Ball saw his chip over the keeper cleared off the line by Alan Wright late on, while Jones had a shot palmed away by the Mikes keeper.

But it will need a better display if Swifts are to trouble Rugby United, their opponents in the first qualifying round on Saturday, September 13.

SWIFTS: Evans 5, Jones 7, Ulfig 4 (Davies 65, 7), NEWALL 7, Mulders 7, Harris 7, Shirley 5, Giddings 6 (Sayer 77), Ball 6 (Wright 90), Wood 6, Cotterill 6. Subs (not used): Webb, Hawkes.

STAR MAN: John Newall.

ATTENDANCE: 101.