Church Break Away Day Duck

Alvechurch: Eve, Cassidy, Dyer, Hallahan, Alabi, Patterson, Dugmore, Evans (Chong 78), George Concannon (Akinwe 90), Gordon subs not used: Lamb, Barry, Emery

Berkhamsted: Head, Ball, Smith, Newton, McClelland, Riddick, MacAire, Frederick (Towell 75), Toiny-Pendred (Frater 85), Tooney, Johnson (Sifford 75)subs not used: Austin, Luwero

An eventful first forty five minutes, played out in a really open fashion.

But it could not have been a worse start for Church as they found themselves in deficit within the opening three minutes of the game. A Berkhamsted corner was headed in at close range by Riddick, with Eve’s hand only pushing the ball into the roof of the net.

Church have not got going, but the goal fortunately seems to act like a wake up call, and it’s the visitors who begin to grow larger in the game.
Just a minute after the goal Dyer forges down the left, delivers a ball across the box, and a Gordon back-heel is saved at close range by Head at the expense of a corner.

Soon after, Cassidy is through behind the back four, but after tracking into the box a defender recovers to block his shooting effort.

It has been a good response from Church and the visitors are looking much more comfortable now, despite a powerful volley from Tooney after an Alabi clearance that arrows straight at Eve. In the next attack a smart move through the centre of the pitch by Church releases George through on goal, and a composed finish by the Church forward from 15 yards deservedly brings the scores level.

From the restart Eve is forced to save well with his legs to deny a close range effort on the counter attack.

It is much better all round from Church now, and just before the half hour mark George is put through again by Evans, but this time Head is able to block his close range effort from deep inside the box.

But Berkhamsted are not out of this game by any means, and on 35 minutes they show why, after Dyer is caught in possession after intercepting a cross field pass, and Alabi gets the ball stuck under his feet before Toiny-Pendred sweeps the ball low into the bottom left hand corner from the edge of the box to restore the home side’s lead.

A good spell of possession for Church follows, who are working incredibly hard to prise an opening.

But fortune smiles on the visitors in first half stoppage time when Gordon is pulled back by Smith squirming and turning on the edge of the Berkhamsted box, and the referee adjudges it to have been inside the area in awarding a penalty, much to the consternation of the home side and home supporters gathered behind the goal.
Gordon coolly steps up to convert the spot kick himself to send the sides in level at the break.

Half Time: Berkhamsted 2 Alvechurch 2

The second half did not live up to the standards of the first, and openings and controversy were very much at a premium.

Each side was probably limited to one clear opening apiece, with Dugmore steering a shot agonisingly wide from 25 yards with the keeper at full stretch, whilst at the other end Eve tipped over a close range effort from MacAire.
Both of these came in the last ten minutes after Church had once again dominated possession, but failed to carve out a clear opening.

It is a first point on the road for Church that stops the rot of four consecutive defeats in the league, and hopefully signals a change in fortune away from Lye Meadow.