Sweeney Quick Fire 1-2-3 Seals Cup Win

Alvechurch : Foster, Dugmore, Cassidy, Mitchell, Ofosu, Patterson, McLeod (Dias 83), Dawkins, Sweeney, Concannon (Clayton-Phillips 64, Hallahan 82), Gordon subs not used: Batchelor, Taylor

Malvern Town : Bishop, Payne, Platt (Loukkas 83), Hill (Bevan 53), Davies, Bell, Hall (Francis 57), Bullock, Watts, Magee (MacDonald 82), Annear subs not used: Stauntson

Church had it all to lose in this Worcester Senior Cup tie – in poor form, away against lower league opposition – a win would normally be all that is expected, a loss would ice the cake that has black clouds hovering over it after 12 games without a win.

The first half was quickly forgettable, with clear chances at a real premium. On 5 minutes, Sweeney flashed a 20 yard free kick just wide, and 14 the same player again went close after flicking the ball over a defender and volleying just off target.

On 21 minutes Foster was called into action for the first time in dealing with a long range effort, diving to turn the ball away with a smart low save. A minute later, at the other end McLeod bursts through the Malvern defence but the angle is too tight when he finally gets off a shot on target, and keeper Bishop smothers the ball at the foot of his near post.
That was pretty much it.

Half Time: Malvern Town 0 Alvechurch 0
The second half brings no sense of change in the overall view of where this game is going as the game continues in a similar vein as to that before the break.

On 56 minutes Church produce the first chance of real quality when Dugmore picks up a long cross-field pass and curls a shot to the pack post, provoking a good low save by Bishop at full stretch.

At the other end, Foster saves well at his near post to foil an angled drive from Bell as Malvern are enjoying a decent spell of play. And it is not many minutes later that the home side find the opening goal in the game, when a deep free kick on 66 minutes is delivered onto the head of Davies who diverts the ball in from close range with an unchallenged effort.

The goal stings Church into action, and there seems to be a newly found urgency all of a sudden.
On 64 minutes, Nick Clayton-Phillips enters the fray and this seems to add a new dimension to Church’s play.

The turnaround gains momentum on 73 minutes when Cassidy loops a cross into the box, and McLeod heads against the home bar, and Sweeney is first to respond to drive the ball into the roof of the net to bring the scores level.

Within three minutes Church gain the lead themselves. Sweeney beats the offside trap to latch onto an exquisite through ball from Clayton-Phillips, he rounds the keeper, only to see his goal bound shot hit a defender on the line. But no matter, the Church front man persists to take charge of the loose ball and slot in for his second goal.

Sweeney completes his hat-trick just two minutes later with another dismantling of the offside trap to latch onto a loose ball, and after chesting the ball under control he blasts a shot past Bishop from 15 yards to effectively seal the outcome of the tie.