After last weekend's fascinating and pulsating 2-2 draw at The Hayes against newly-promoted tier six outfit Sutton United Ladies in our first pre-season fixture, Chris' side returned to the same venue but this time to take on a team that they were familiar with last season. In awaiting were Coventry Sphinx. Church' only victory of a turbulent league campaign last year arrived against the team in blue and the side we were facing today as we secured a 2-1 win in our final game before Christmas of 2025. Goals from former on-loan Stourbridge Women midfielder Katie Martin and a stunning long-range finish from defender Eleanor Stark were the difference that day, which saw us complete a comeback victory and claim all three points.

Today's challenge, however, was much different. The visitors had a strong finish to last term. 10 points from a possible 18 to close their season off. That fine run of form started with a sensational 3-2 win against Port Vale Women on their own patch. They also secured a stunning win against the side that ended up finishing runners-up in Shifnal Town, winning an epic and enthralling seven-goal thriller (4-3) in-front of their home faithful. A home-walkover and a 2-2 draw on the final day of the campaign against Shrewsbury Town Women was enough to see them comfortably finish well above the drop zone after what could have been a couple of weeks of unrest.

The test today sure was a challenge. The Church know what Sphinx are capable of on their day. With the head-to-head encounters now matched at 2-2 as well. Two defeats away from home at Sphinx for the Church and two wins on their own turf against the opposition, it was nicely poised and the second friendly of the summer schedule was about to begin.

MATCH REPORT
On what was still a rather summer feels day in Worcestershire, it was the Church to get us underway for the encounter. Seven minutes into the game, it looked as if it was a rather bad start for the home team. The away side were fouled right on the touchline by the dugout. The midfielder for Coventry floated a brilliant ball into the box, perfectly weighted and just begging to be put away. The Sphinx defender arrived on the scene and powered home the header, which clipped the inside of the post and nestling into the net. But, the celebrations were cut short following a foul that the referee had spotted in the middle. Let-off for the hosts.

The moment seemed to lift the confidence in the Church ranks. Sparked a bit of life into them and finally awoken. On 14 minutes, Olivia Baker made a darting run down the right and was well spotted by Lara O'Brien. The winger drove down the line, before trying to whip a ball into the area for her team-mates to attack. The ball seemed to take an almighty curl on it, and almost caught the away goalkeeper a bit of trouble, but the shot-stopper was there to make a good save to keep the ball out of the net.

Two minutes after the cross-cum shot, it was the opposite winger's turn to get involved. Having netted her first goal in amber and black last weekend, new recruit over the summer in Lyndsey Ross-Baker, took the ball into her stride. She used her full-back's run as a decoy and it allowed the space to open up in-front of her. She then wrapped her foot around the ball from distance and hit a good effort towards the target. The goalkeeper alert and ready to make another save for the away team.

The chances kept coming and Church looked lively in the opening 16 minutes. Baker again involved down the right-hand side. Billie Kelly's inch-perfect pass cut through the Coventry lines allowing Baker to drift inside and retain the ball. When she got on the ball, she looked dangerous and causing panic amongst the away defence. She glided through the heart of the defence, skipping past the challenges coming in on her and the defence kept backing off, allowing her to weave into the penalty area. As she approached the finish, the ball got caught under her feet, and the chance seemed to break down at the vital moment.

CHURCH TAKE THE LEAD!

Just three minutes shy of the 20-minute mark, we finally got what we deserved. The ball trickled out for a corner kick following some good defensive work from the backline of the visiting team. Ross stepped up to take the corner. The tricky and lethal winger delivered a peach of a cross into the area, landing on the head of our second trialist of the day (Trialist B), and she powered home the header from close range. No stopping that bullet header. Church 1, Sphinx 0.

The wave-after-wave of attacks didn't seem to die down either. Chris' young, fresh, new-look side seemed hungrier for more. They could sense it. They were really going through the gears and looking sharp. The ball was flashed right across the face of goal, the travelling side managed to clear the ball but only as far as Grace Ford, another debutant for the hosts this afternoon, she drove a powerful strike towards the goal - the goalkeeper once again down quickly to make the save.

Five minutes before the break, Trialist D went ever-so close to doubling the lead. We worked the ball around the back and into Baker's feet, she then fed the ball into the path of Trialist D. The player playing in the right-back role latched onto the delicately-weighted pass, struck it sweetly, and it flashed inches past the top left-hand corner. It would have been superb. So close. And with that brought the half-time whistle.

HALF-TIME: ALVECHURCH 1-0 COVENTRY SPHINX

In the second-half, the home team had set up in a new formation, tactics changed, personnel changed. The principles and the same standards applied though. Church in search of more, even more heights to climb just yet. Not the finished article by any stretches of the imagination, but looking ever-so strong, looking fitter, looking more dangerous, more equipped, the quality of their play starting to rise.

Eight minutes after the restart, Alvechurch went close again. The throwing from the right was hurled into the box, which saw Trialist B & C work together to cause confusion. Trialist B was quick and alert to the impending danger, she managed to get the better of her marker, and as she approached the finish, she cut across the ball, slicing it just wide of the far-hand corner. But yet again, really promising from the hosts.

On the hour mark, in freakish circumstances, the visiting side managed to pull themselves level. There was a foul about 30 yards from goal, in a same sort of position from which they had the goal ruled out in the first period. The midfielder looked to set to deliver a cross into the area for her team-mates to go and attack. However, the ball just seemed to travel and travel, dip and swerve before clipping the top of the right-hand post, nestling into the back of the net. Only she will ever know if she truly meant for that to happen - but either way, the game was now all square out of nothing and nowhere really.

The game seemed to be taking more of a stop/start contest. Rhythm being broken, intensity of both sides not really getting to where they would want it to be following the lengthy stoppages, following the slower restarts to the game. Had the makings of a real "pre-season" feel to the match now. Church working hard, and showing all their training sessions across the summer were paying dividends though as they were keeping their concentration, focus and drive for a winner at this stage.

On 77 minutes, the home side had EJ to thank for not falling behind. Sphinx managed to work an opening out wide. The winger set the ball back for her full-back. She came on to the ball, curled a cross into the area, we didn't quite manage to find the connection to lump it away from danger. The striker set it for her captain and the skipper's effort seemed destined to land in the top-left hand corner. Out of nowhere! The on-loan super shot-stopper EJ Leigh climbed the highest, and at full stretch/tilt managed to make an unbelievable save to keep the ball out of the net. Simply wonderful goalkeeping.

With seven minutes left on the clock, The Church were still wanting to find the late-juncture winner. That they did! Ross threw the ball in from the left-hand side, close enough to the halfway line, she threw it into the feet of Brooke Slatcher. The midfielder controlled, took one step inside, picked her head up, and curled an absolute beauty of a pass in behind the defence for Baker to get on the end of. Baker was cool, calm, and collected as she steered the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to seal the first win of pre-season!

FULL-TIME: ALVECHURCH 2-1 COVENTRY SPHINX