Opening Day-light Robbery

Alvechurch: Eve, Cassidy, Dyer, Lamb (Akinwe 80), Nantwi-Ofusu, Patterson (Spiers 80), Dugmore, Chong, Gordon, Concannon, Goergo (Willock 78) subs not used: Randle

Hitchin: Horlock, Bell, Eadie, Syme, Jones (Tearle 74), Barker, Cotter, Gleeson (Idiakhoa 70), Snelus, Galliford (Freitas-Gouveia 63), Wilkinson
subs not used: Georgiou, Hay

To sum up – with eleven men, Church were by far the better side, and with ten men they were not the worse.
With so many changes from last season, it was unclear what Church we were going to see on this opening day, but is without doubt that all would have been impressed with how cohesive and dangerous the new-look team presented themselves throughout an enjoyable first forty five minutes of this game.

It was unseasonably autumnal on this early August day, but the pitch was well prepared and allowed Church to play a smart passing game that was certainly easy on the eye. The front line were willing and mobile, the back four looked comfortable, with two forward thinking full backs to boot, and the midfield functioned well with familiar faces Josh Dugmore and Jack Concannon pulling strings to some effect.
The tone, and direction of the game changed in first half stoppage time, courtesy of rigid refereeing that again lacked any common sense.
Whilst it seemed that every Church foul had been punished by a yellow card, the earliest and probably worst tackle of the game, from the home side, had escaped such punishment, and as the nonsensical cautioning continued there was concern that this could quickly get out of hand for no reason whatsoever. To this point, it would not be unreasonable to say that there had not been a yellow card offence, and yet, now one side had been reduced to ten men.

Patterson was cautioned on 10 minutes, Nantwi-Ofusu followed on 16 and Chong on 28 – perhaps all beige offences. In the first minute of stoppage time the intractable officiating earned Nantwi-Ofusu a second yellow and red, leaving a significant hole in Church’s defence, and tarnishing all that had been achieved in this impressive first half. The reshuffle for the second half necessitated the removal of the key influence of Dugmore from his wide right midfield spot into a more defensive role, and was certainly a blow consequent of the red card.

The opening minutes of the game were played out entirely in the Hitchin half. Just two minutes in and Gordon holds off a marker on the edge of the box, and fires on target from 12 yards, and three minutes later Patterson re-cycles a half clearance, and Chong heads on target but with not enough power to seriously trouble keeper Horlock.
There were 15 minutes on the clock before the Church goal was threatened when Galliford produced a turn and shot from the edge of the box, drilling the ball low and just wide of the foot of the post.

On 19 minutes a long range effort from Dyer was saved by Horlock low to his right, and a minute later a last ditch tackle from Syme on the edge of the box denied Goergo as he latched onto a pin-point through ball and threatened to break through for a clear sight of goal.
Dugmore flashes a shot just wide on 22 minutes as Church continue to eke out half chances, and minutes lates good work by Gordon and Goergo just inside the Hitchin box led to and opening for the former to fire on goal, but sadly only into the side netting.
Straight after a curled pass down the right flank eludes the home defence and Goergo connects to lift the ball over the advancing Horlock, but a little too heavy and his effort clears the home bar.

Just before the half hour mark a swift counter from the home side saw Eve finally drawn into action, but Cotter’s low shot was saved well low to the keeper’s right.
A closer call on 32 minutes when another Dugmore effort from 25 yards forced a smart save from Horlock, at full stretch, at the expense of a corner.

It had been a good half, full of encouragement – until….. well you know.

Half Time: Hitchin Town 0 Alvechurch 0

Church reshuffled, but within two minutes the worst case scenario unfolded, as the home side struck an opening goal. A foul on the corner of the box, and the inevitable yellow card for Dugmore was bad enough. Worse was the strike from Snelus that flew unhindered into the far corner of the Church net – well executed but unwarranted demerit for the visitors all the same.
Church took the blow on the chin and continued to try to play their way back into the game as the home side failed to further make their man advantage count. But the hole in the defence did ultimately cost Church as Hitching produced a simple sucker punch – a ball into the box from wide right from Bell, and a free header for Wilkinson from close range, centre goal, to direct the ball past the exposed Eve for a decisive second goal.

The game became somewhat becalmed following a clutch of substitutions, but the game had slipped away from Church after such a promising first forty-five minutes. As the play naturally opened up in the closing minutes Eve was called upon to rescue his side on a couple of occasions with two smart saves.

An opening day defeat, but so many positives, and but for weak officiating the outcome could, and should have, been much different.