A certain grim reality kicks in when you unexpectedly lose to a side in a lower league. More so when you are on a lengthy unbeaten run, having won every home game played so far. And your opponents have not secured any significant form so far this season.

Despite dominating possession in the first half, Church found themselves a goal behind at the break.

Whatever was said or done during the interval shook Church into action, but despite dominating the chances, putting the Bourne defence under significant pressure, winning innumerable corners, Church could only breach the visitors ‘resolve once, leaving the outcome of the tie literally in the balance to late on.

It was one defensive slip that decided the tie; and it was made by the side on top, letting in the visitors for an unlikely, if not well-earned passage into the next round.

The reflection has to be swift, as the always combative Stourbridge are coming to town three days, and then the FA Cup odyssey continues next weekend at Step 4 Cambridge City. More slip ups this week seem unconscionable.

Where did Church fall short?
Well organised as Bourne’s defence was, perhaps Church fell too easily into a too passive mode, allowing the two big central defenders to dominate when they needed to, and the defensive shape to exist too effectively as the home side played the ball around without finding the penetrating pass or shot often or quickly enough.

It seemed to start well enough for Church, with Odabeyi having a rasping drive from 25 yards deflected into the arms of keeper Lakin.
The first opening for Bourne can after 12 minutes when a shot from Allen from the edge of the area was blocked by a full-bodied challenge from Bavanganga at some cost to himself. And it was Allen again two minutes later after Church gave the ball away cheaply 30 yards from goal, and the Bourne frontman forced a smart full length save from Evans to deal with the bobbling shot.

The game hit a lull somewhat than for a while, and Church were finding the search for a breakthrough tough going. But then Bourne capitalised out of nothing. Church were slow to deal with potential danger on the edge of their own box, and Burrows picked up the ball in space, tracked closer to goal, and then drove an angled shot across Evans into the far corner to put the Step 4 side ahead. Church had been punished for being too timid in possession, and need to wake up before the game gets away from them.

But it takes until the second minute of stoppage time before the next clear cut chance arrived; Ngandu sends a 25 yard shot skimming low and jut wide of the foot of the post, but Church remain a goal to the bad at the break.

Half Time: Alvechurch 0 Bourne Town 1

Church are very much on the front foot at the beginning of the second half as early pressure yields a series of corners for the visitors to defend.
Three minutes in a Ngandu corner is volleyed over by Bavanganga from twelve yards, but a minute later the pressure told. The Bourne full back was dispossessed near the corner flag by Reilly, and he drilled the ball across the face of the goal to find Ilesanmi apply a deft touch to curl the ball into the far corner from six yards out.

The equaliser looked to be signalling that there would be only one likely winner now. Church had found a way at last, and it was no more than the second half display had warranted.
The chances flowed. Ilesanmi strikes on target after being fed by Clayton-Phillips, and a corner delivered to the back post finds Crowther whose half volley is blocked.
Four further corners follow as Bourne continue to be under the cosh.
On 70 minutes Clayton-Phillips is fed by Wakefield and he is able to get a shot off, across Lakin, but the keeper does really well to divert the ball wide of the far post.
Another two corners follow, and a drive from Wakefield is deflected over. The winner just will not come.
Four minutes later Okafor is just off target from ten yards after Clayton-Phillips fires in a diagonal cross and the Church frontman connects well with a bullet header.

The pressure has ramped up, but the Bourne resolve showed no sign of dissolving. And at the same time, they gave periodic indication that on the break they could not be completely ignored, although the threat lacked what Church’s had in the first half – not much jeopardy in the final punch.

None more so than eleven minutes from the end when the ball is lofted forward, but a weak back pass from Church fails to find its mark, and Allen nips in to gratefully gather possession, round Evans, and slot into the empty net.
It has pretty much been the visitors’ only real chance of the half, and it has been a gift from the hosts.

There is a final flurry from Church, with Okafor almost capitalising on a weak defensive header, but Lakin saves with a trailing leg; that was probably the moment.

In the final analysis, Church have paid a heavy price form the flat first half performance, and despite being massively on the front foot in the second half, despite generating the pressure in the final third, fell short in the quality in front of goal.