In arguably the biggest and most important fixture of the season came the way of Ben Davis' young squad this afternoon as they travelled to Chelmsley Wood to take on Solihull Sporting in a pivotal clash towards the foot of the table. Having played almost everyone there is to play now, Solihull were one of the three teams Church have yet to face this campaign. The other two being Kidderminster Harriers and Knowle. But today was a real chance to put some fresh daylight between the two clubs.

Already 15 games into their season, Church' form prior to the three defeats they had suffered in a row was excellent. Things change so quickly in football and their run of form has seen them dragged back into the dogfight at the bottom - somewhere four weeks ago, they didn't think they would be. A chance to show the character and resilience we are used to seeing. A group of players who have shown it before, and today was the day that needed to recapture that type of personality about them.

Used to being an underdog, used to being under pressure, it was a real opportunity for Alvechurch but also for the home team. On the hosts, a draw last time out at Burton Albion Women had reignited their survival hopes after a faltering last few results. They knew a win in today's crunch fixture would close the gap on us to just two points, and really boost their chances of survival in tier five. A team that failed to play any of their opening five/six games due to squad problems, they are currently playing catch-up on the rest around them but knew a win would be vital in their fight to beat the drop.

A win for the away side would open up an eight-point gap on their opponents, but more importantly a nine-point advantage on the team occupying the final relegation spot in Coventry Sphinx Ladies, who the visitors travel to in two weeks time. So which one would this one swing... could Solihull pull Alvechurch further into danger or would Davis' side find the strength to put some breathing room between them and the clubs down there?

HOW IT UNFOLDED:
After an eight-minute delay to kick-off, the game was underway.

Four minutes into the contest and the returning Abbie Hyland was finding space in behind the Sporting defence, she had a race on her hands as she tried to beat the goalkeeper to the ball. The goalkeeper did exceptionally well to get there just ahead of our winger, who by the way was starting her first game for the first time since 26th November 2023. A long time out with a sustained injury, she had now started to recapture moments from her best version. The version we were used to seeing. A huge shout-out to her for her patience, and her fight to get back to full fitness. Another shout-out to sports therapists, Dan Hines and Abi Peart, who have oversaw her comeback to action and worked incredibly hard to get her to this point.

On 16 minutes, Church had two chances to find the breakthrough. Beth Grady, playing in the number nine position, was causing all sorts of issues for the home defence. She brought the ball under control before driving towards goal and getting her shot away, but the effort was just a tad bit too high, sailing over the crossbar to deny us. The second saw Imogen Butler float a wonderfully weighted ball over to Alisha Sheridan. The goal-machine in-turn fed the ball to Chloe Bickley, who placed a superb delivery into the box but no-one in green could turn it home.

The pressure was cranking up but pushing numbers forward does leave you exposed at the back. A really controversial moment came on the 22nd minute. Alvechurch had claimed the ball went out of play on the far side for a goal-kick. Seemingly, the ball had gone out, however the referee waved advantage. From there on in, Solihull nearly profited from their lucky moment. The cross was pinned to the edge of the area where the striker came onto it and struck it nicely. Anna Bebb got a vital touch on the ball to take it away from the bottom left-hand corner. From the resulting corner, Abby Dadson was called into action making a fantastic diving save to her right to deny them the lead.

A moment to almost forget for Church - but felt rightfully aggrieved for the decision not to reward a goal-kick.

All their frustrations turned into shear delight just past the hour mark though. A wicked delivery from Beth Cull following the corner kick was glanced on at the near post by Jess Wallace, who saw her header brilliantly kept out to be fair by the opposition goalkeeper. Luckily for the away side, the ball fell kindly for Bebb and Hyland, who both swung their foot at it. Although it was the centre-back that got the final touch on the ball to take it over the line and squeeze it into the net. Bebb's fourth goal of the campaign saw us ahead.

We had a close call two minutes after the restart though as Solihull could and maybe should have been level. Lyndsey Ross-Baker ghosted in behind the visitors' backline. She raced clear of our defenders before hitting a snapshot from a wider angle than she would have hoped for, forcing Dadson into a smart save down to her right-hand side. Perhaps Wallace' presence right behind Ross forced her into the shot a bit quicker than anticipated. An escape for Davis' troopers, who switched off for a split second.

End-to-end at the end of the half. A minute of regular time to play and it was almost two for Church. A cross came in and the Solihull defender attempted to chest it back to her goalkeeper, who in the end successfully managed it but for a tiny second, it looked like it was maybe nestling into the net as the two failed to communicate. Then on the stroke of the half-time whistle, Dadson was required again to ensure we went into the break with the lead as she thwarted another fierce strike on our goal before the rebound was hammered over the crossbar.

HT: SOLIHULL SPORTING 0-1 ALVECHURCH

Minutes into the second half and the home team should have been on level terms. A deep floated cross into the area was on a plate for the Sporting attacker, who had more time than she realised. No Church defender in sight, and the goal at her mercy, the effort was rushed and she hit it first-time. Comfortable for Dadson in the end and another escape for the away side.

On the hour mark, it could have been two again. Grady spun past her marker, slipped the ball into the feet of Sheridan. The forward then opened up the hosts defence with a beautifully executed pass for Hyland. The winger took a touch, rifled an effort towards goal which rose over the crossbar.

The sucker-punch came on 62 minutes. Having dominated the possession for large parts of the encounter, Church were caught napping giving away a cheap corner. From that corner, the delivery was on the money for the players to attack. Right on top of Dadson, who had a case to argue being pulled back, but nothing given and the header was smashed home with pretty much every player in the box ending up in the back of the net. Chaos. Sporting 1, Church 1.

A real setback for the Worcestershire based club, who were now failing to deal with the number of players that the home side were flooding forward as they went in search of an important lead.

On 75 minutes and 76 minutes, crossbars at both ends were struck. The first saw the attacker from the home end manage to skip by the challenges being thrown in, she opted to hit the shot from an acute angle, with very little to hit but her strike came back off the top of the woodwork. Then the other woodwork was rattled. Substitution Millie Papper on the half volley following a brilliant piece of skill saw it loop over the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper could only stand and hope, which her prayers were heard. The ball rattled the underside of the bar before being hooked to safety.

The chances now ramping up as both sides went in search of all three points. Church turned up the heat and went up an extra gear. With 13 minutes remaining of a gripping contest, we were back in-front. Her introduction from the bench was having the desired effect, Papper was excellent in her positivity play. She ran at the defence with power and purpose, hitting a sweet strike from the angle forcing the goalkeeper into a smart save. The shot was palmed out only as far as Grady. She composed herself bringing the ball under her control, got it out of her feet and hitting a shot under the goalkeeper squeezing it past the last-ditch defending on the line.

As said, we went up an extra gear and sought out a third goal to kill the match. We only went and got that goal, too! Fellow substitute Lara Stevens was also causing the fragile defence all sorts of issues with her physical presence. That presence came into play as she added a third goal to the score-line. She rolled her challenger, and had the confidence to slot the strike into the near post, the goalkeeper would have been disappointed with that one but for Church, a massive goal in a massive game. Stevens' third goal in four games. Starting to find her feet.

The goal that did eventually kill of any hopes of a comeback from Sporting. A huge result in quite arguably their biggest game of the season so far as they take all three points. A bit of daylight between us and the bottom two.

FT: SOLIHULL SPORTING 1-3 ALVECHURCH