Alvechurch safely progressed to the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in overcoming a spirited AFC Wolverhampton City side, who battled on throughout despite being reduced to ten men in the first half.

Church’s two goals, one in each half, were each well-crafted down the right flank, and Harry Reilly driven balls across the face of the goal were efficiently despatched into the net by Tope Adebayi and Manny Ilesanmi respectively to break the visitors’ hearts.
In between, the visitors had been reduced to ten men as after a moment of madness from McNulty-Hartnett after an altercation with Jack Kelly that saw the former throw his head at the latter in full view of the referee and pay the price after 23 minutes.

The Step 5 side were a handful for their higher level hosts in the early exchanges, and Redman Evans was by far the busier keeper as the gave found its shape in the opening minutes.

A shot just over from Stephens in the opening seconds looked like a promising precursor of what might be on offer in this tie, but it was then straight to the other end where McNulty-Hartnett shoots from the edge of the box forcing Evans into a smart save to turn the ball behind at full stretch.

It is a frantic opening in which the visitors look the more threatening and Cyanda has a cushioned shot from the edge of the box that is touched over by Evans, who has been far the busier keeper thus far.

Church had been somewhat profligate in the final third, but it was a quality ball that finally undid Wolverhampton’s resistance on 20 minutes when Harry Reilly escaped down the right flank and delivered a delicious drilled ball across the face of the six yard box, and the onrushing Obadeyi to turn the ball in from close range.

Three minutes later bad got worse for the visitors when McNulty-Hartnett got himself too involved off the ball with Kelly, and the movement of the Wolverhampton man’s head could not be overlooked by the referee, and the red card was somewhat inevitable. 8xxxx was also cautioned in the aftermath as the game threatened to boil over.

Unperturbed though, Wolverhampton continued to take the game to Church, and West stumbled through three challenges before curling another effort on target, forcing Evans into another smart save to his left.

A quiet end to the first half saw Church win a series of corners, but the goal count remained at one, and despite all of Church’s possession, the final third action remained somewhat sparse.

Half Time: Alvechurch 1 AFC Wolverhampton City 0

The second half is better for Church, who play with a bit more purpose going forward. Five minutes in Wakefield draws a good blocking save from Arnold after jinxing though three challenges, and despite the fact that Lomas shots straight at Evans from a good position deep in the Church box, the visitors’ chances are becoming rarer.

Just after the hour mark Ngandu rattles the Wolverhampton bar with a 25 yard free kick as the killer second goal is pursued. And then on 65 minutes a quickly taken free kick from the half way line releases Okafor one on one with Arnold, but despite touching the ball past the keeper there is not enough pace on the ball to take it to the goal, and the defence recovers to clear.

Church have ramped up the pressure, and the introduction of Manny Ilesanmi on 72 minutes produces the sought for dividend immediately. Reilly again down the right, whipping the ball into the heart of the six yard box, and the Church substitute, with his first touch, is on the end of the cross to steer the ball in from close in.

Within three minutes Ilesanmi could have bagged a second – Reilly the provider again and Ilesanmi sees a first effort well saved by Arnold before putting the rebound over the bar from 12 yards.

The lively Okafor is in again in the dying minutes of the game, stabbing the ball past the advancing Arnold, but the effort bobbles just wide of the far post.

So, a robust Fa Cup tie comes to an end. Credit to the visitors who never gave up despite the challenge of the red card, and overall made a game of it from start to finish.