Second Half Comeback Win Lifts Church Hopes

For sure the demise of Nuneaton Borough has breathed new life into Church’s survival fight – several clubs in and around the bottom half of the table, and indeed the bottom four are now facing losing up to six points when Borough’s record is expunged.
In the meantime though, Church are focussed on looking after their own account – and a second league win in consecutive games will signal a massive positive in that respect.

Hitchin came to Lye Meadow in something of a slump of their own – five defeats in the last seven and no win in five as their previous more consistent results had evaporated.

Church begin the game on the front foot, employing a high press, and this seemed to unsettle the visitors a little, and they took some little time to compose themselves.

The first attempt on target came from Hitchin though, when Cotter headed toeards goal, but Hollingshead was well behind it. Hitching play themselves into the game, and are moving the ball into the Church box at will, with Church now a bit on the back foot.

And after 17 minutes the pressure from the away side registered with a goal. A Hitchin corner drops onto the Church penalty spot, and after failing to clear, the home side are punished when Popoola drills the ball low into the corner of the goal.

Ofosu heads a Clayton-Phillips free kick over from a good position on 21 minutes in a rare threat on the away goal, and just before the half hour a smart one-two move involving Dyer and Clayton-Phillips sees the former through on goal, and keeper Horlock does well to spread himself and deflect the shot wide with an outstretched boot.

Just before the break Cassidy delivers a low effort on target after tracking through from wide left, and Horlock gathers the shot at full stretch.
To be fair, Church have not really got going for any sustained period in this first half, biut are still very much still in the game with only the one goal deficit.

Half Time: Alvechurch 0 Hitchin Town 1

First chance in the second period falls to Hitchin just three minutes in when a strike from the edge of the box from Emovon is deflected over the Church bar.

But this is as good as it got for Hitchin.

On 49 minutes Dan Sweeney, who had been a handful for the Hitchin back line all afternoon, twists and turns his way through three players before being pole-axed by Georgiou. Clayton-Phillips floats the ball in from 25 yards out, and the ball eventually ends up in the back of the Hitchin net with Sweeney applying the final touch. The assistant’s flag stifles any celebration, and six minutes later Sweeney again slaloms through, and this time stabs the ball just wide of the far post.

The pressure is all being applied at one end of the pitch now.

Quarter of an hour remaining and that man Sweeney does it again. Great feet from the big man, and a stunning swerving strike from 25 yards that arrows into the top left hand corner of Horlock’s goal, with the keeper having no chance.

Church are hunting for a winner now, and on 84 minutes Cassidy is put through, and his first time effort is deflected wide for a corner. Clayton-Phillips delivers to the penalty spot area, and Ofosu arrives at pace to power the ball in with an uncompromising header from eight yards to complete the turnaround.