Alvechurch Women were back at home, and looking to back up their brilliant performance against Solihull Moors just seven days ago and try to build some more confidence plus their belief as they enter the final six games of what has been a troublesome season for the girls in amber and black. Not all down to them. But, what has followed in recent weeks, it has been chance after chance to try take the points against those in and around our position. Performances have been miles better, but not quite had the results to show for it.

Today was a different challenge and Church knew that Leek Town would arrive at The Hayes knowing they had an opportunity to grab an all-important three points for themselves to plummet themselves clear of the danger following closely in pursuit of them below. Three points would release any tension, and give them some much-needed breathing room.

It was The Church to get us underway for another huge West Midlands Regional Women's Football League Premier Division clash.

The home side were eager to get off to a good start early on and nearly found it inside the opening four minutes of the contest. Molly Bubb, in a rich reign of form up-front drove with the ball before being brought down on the edge of the penalty area. The striker took the ball, stepped up and saw her effort from the edge well saved by the goalkeeper to deny us an early lead.

On seven-minutes, Town were handed with a glorious chance to take the lead. An in-swinging free-kick was launched into the box and it dropped in a very crowded area of the 18-yard box. Church looked to clear the ball and as we did, the ball struck the arm of our player (somehow -not quite sure what was seen to be honest), leading the referee to point the spot and reward the penalty-kick. From 12 yards, it was Katie Maya, who stepped up and picked out the roof of the net. Church 0, Leek 1.

It was a great reaction to falling behind from the hosts. We came to within inches of levelling the contest up as a quarter of the encounter passed by. A dangerous whipped delivery from out wide flashed into the box, the defender went up to head it clear, missed the flight of the ball allowing Darcy Jones to bring it into her path, she took the effort on the half-volley forcing the Leek number one into action and keep the score-line in their favour.

For the rest of the half, it was being broken up massively with injuries for the hosts plaguing them. We lost Molly Bubb to what was a horrific challenge in the middle of the park on her foot/ankle. The referee saw nothing wrong with it and then Bubb left the pitch in some distress and discomfort following the tackle. Later on, we would lose Poppy Jones to a concussion. So, in the frame of just 10-minutes, we'd lost both of our starting strikers and in-form attackers, which seemed to play a heavy part in the conclusion to the first-half.

Within a two-minute span, the Church found themselves picking the ball out of the net twice. The second goal came as the home defence switched off allowing Maya, goal-scorer of the first goal, time and space inside the area, she picked her spot ruthlessly though as she slammed the ball in off the post on its way in. A superb finish. Things went from bad to worse though just a minute later as the Leek attack sliced through the heart of our defence, Emma Henderson latched onto the end of it, curling it beyond our debutant goalkeeper.

HALF-TIME: ALVECHURCH 0-3 LEEK TOWN

Arguably, that was our worst performance to date of the season. A huge mountain to climb if we were to take anything.

The girls were asked at half-time to change the narrative and find a way back into the contest. A slight tweak to the contingency plan as we pushed to find a route back in. Two minutes after the restart, Alvechurch found their goal to restore renewed hope, energy and belief around the place. Aleesha Hussain found herself in the channel, delivered a telling ball into the area, and the cross just kept travelling before landing in the back of the net to reduce the gap to two.

Five minutes later, the home side's reaction was getting stronger and we nearly found ourselves right back in it all together. A fresh breed of new confidence was flowing. Hussain nipped in-front of the Town defender before taking it closer to the goal, as she bared down on goal with just the goalkeeper to beat, she dragged her strike inches wide of the far-hand post. A matter of inches from the game being turned on its head!

Church' pressure was becoming relentless. You could sense another goal was coming. Despite all that pressure so early on in the second half, all that work was undone and unravelled on 54 minutes. A whipped set-piece into the danger zone wasn't dealt with properly allowing Cass Hyde to get on the end of it, nipping her toe in-front, diverting it past Roche, flying into the net to regain their three-goal cushion.

The rest of the game saw Church starting to whimper. Still giving it a go right until the end, but the energy was flat, the fourth goal came at the right time for Leek, and at a time where it just felt like the home side looked in control of their own destiny. The fourth goal deflated any real thoughts or desires of a comeback, crushing.

As the half went on, Chris Gagg's side well known for their composure and their work rate. Everything seemed to fall apart.

With 14 minutes left on the clock, Leek added a fifth. A corner was curled into the box, both sets of players got up for it. The final touch came off the head of the on-rushing Rhian Morris, whose header came back off the underside of the bar landing into the net following her run to the back post to guide it in.

On 79 minutes, it was getting out of control. One of the freakiest goals ever seen. Our goalkeeper rolled the ball out to the left centre-back, who wasn't quite ready to receive the pass, got it under control, looked up and spotted Annabel Stark on the other side, attempting the pass across the box. Maya stepped in, got her toe on it, and it seemed to roll into the goal, making it six of the best for the travelling team.

FULL-TIME: ALVECHURCH 1-6 LEEK TOWN