A memorable night at Lye Meadow as Church swept Step 2 opposition aside to reach the 1st Round Proper of the Fa Cup for the fourth time.

Spalding did not enjoy their trip to Worcestershire one jot, as they were dismantled by a rampant Church performance that will take some bettering.

It is end to ed in the opening exchanges, but defences are on top, and each side id clearing their lines with composed defending.

First real threat arrives just before the quarter hour at the Church end when Evans saves well with his feet to block Cybulski one on one after the Spalding frontman had muscled his way through.

Soon after, another melee in the Church box sees the visitors threaten twice, but the ball is blocked away by covering defenders with Evans somewhat stranded on the edge of his box.

On 16 minutes the ball is driven low and just wide of the far post.
This spell might actually be as good as it got for the visitors.
After 21 minutes Osborne drives on target from 20 yards to finish off a period of Church pressure, and signals a real sense that the home side have played their way back into the game.

And then on 26 it all pays off. A long ball to Okafor is nodded back by the Church frontman, and Newton is on hand to drive the ball hard and low from just outside the box to beat keeper Crook’s full stretch dive to his left. It is a sublime strike to register his first goal for the club, the ball skimming in off the slick surface.

Church have patiently played their way into a dominant position in the game, and it is now the home side who are pressing.

Johnson is cautioned on 37 when he drags Okafor down after the Church man had turned him near the touchline and was threatening to bear down on goal. From the resulting free kick Osborne shaped up to deliver the ball into the box, but wow did he do better when he curled it over everyone and into the top right hand corer of the net with Crook rooted to the spot. It is a spectacular strike, and worthy of the celebrations that follow.

Church are not done, and on 44 minutes Stephens shoots on target on the run, and Forsyth follows up to fire low and wide as Church go looking for a third.

Half Time : Alvechurch 2 Spalding United 0

The second half begins with Evans, who had been idle for long periods in the first half, pull off a point blank save three minutes in with an outstretched boot to deny Cybulski from very close range.

But a minute later Church make it three. Another Osborne free kick is only half cleared, and Newton capitalises by lashing the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

If the game was not already gone for Spalding, it certainly was after 57 minutes when Okafor chases down a through ball, out-pacing the defence, before stroking the ball past the advancing Crook from just inside the box.

There was a glimmer of hope for Spalding on 61 minutes when a nudge by Sullivan on an opponent after the ball was half cleared resulted in a penalty for the visitors. The spark of hope was quickly extinguished by Evans when he threw himself full stretch to his right to turn away Cybulski’s spot kick to retain his clean sheet.

A last act of resistance sees Evans save a deflected shot from Bendle on 82 minutes as Spalding’s fate moves to an inevitable conclusion.

Rask has a good chance to add to Spalding’s misery on 87 minutes when he delivers a 25 yard free kick rifling just wide of the foot of the post, but a four goal drubbing will have to do.