MATCH REPORT:
Alvechurch Women got their 2026/27 campaign off to the perfect start with a sensational five-star performance on the road, sweeping aside Long Itchington Ladies despite travelling with a number of key players unavailable.

On a beautiful day for football, The Church produced a performance full of quality, resilience and stunning goals to claim all three points and kick-start the new season in emphatic fashion.

Church began the contest brightly and could easily have taken an early lead, creating two or three excellent opportunities inside the opening stages.

Lara O’Brien, returning to the starting eleven, was first to test the Long Itchington goalkeeper after 10 minutes, seeing her effort from the edge of the area well saved. Moments later, Kiely Wilkinson launched a throw into the box which was flicked on by Poppy Jones towards the back post, where Olivia Baker was waiting. However, her effort was somehow scrambled off the line and away to safety.

Toni Kingscott was next to try her luck on 16 minutes, stepping into midfield to win possession before taking aim from distance, but her effort drifted narrowly wide.

Then came a hugely controversial moment. On 20 minutes, the hosts were awarded a penalty for what appeared to be an extremely harsh handball decision. Long Itchington had the opportunity to take the lead completely against the run of play, but their spot-kick cannoned off the base of the post.

The danger was not over, however, as the rebound fell invitingly for the forward. EJ Leigh had other ideas. The Alvechurch shot-stopper produced a remarkable reaction save, undoubtedly one of the saves of the season already, to deny the follow-up, before the offside flag was eventually raised. Leigh, of course, had no way of knowing that during the moment and produced a simply sensational stop.

Church continued to push forward and Baker looked destined to break the deadlock.

On 23 minutes, Aleesha Hussain and Baker linked up brilliantly down the right-hand side before Hussain found herself through on goal. The winger drove towards the box and struck an effort that was well blocked by the goalkeeper.

Just two minutes later, another opportunity arrived. Kingscott once again stepped into space and unleashed a strike which was spilled by the home goalkeeper. Baker was first to the rebound and looked set to bury the ball into the far corner, only to be denied once more.

But the in-form winger would not be denied for long.

36 minutes on the clock, Alvechurch finally had the goal their performance deserved. A brilliantly crafted move saw Jones produce some clever footwork in midfield before slipping a perfectly weighted ball between the Long Itchington defence. Baker raced onto it, kept her composure and calmly slotted into the bottom-right corner. Itchington 0, Church 1.

And just four minutes later, Church struck again. Freya Lawton, making her full league debut for the club, delivered a dangerous corner into the box. The ball took a touch on its way through and nestled into the same corner that Baker had found moments earlier. Real daylight between the two sides.

HALF-TIME: LONG ITCHINGTON LADIES 0-2 ALVECHURCH WOMEN

It was a thoroughly deserved lead for The Church, who had responded brilliantly to the adversity of the controversial penalty decision earlier in the half.

The visitors came out after the break determined to finish the job and they did so in spectacular fashion. Ten minutes into the second half, Alvechurch scored what was, at that point, undoubtedly the goal of the game.

Lawton, once again influential down the left-hand side, delivered a delicious ball into space for returning striker Simone Brown, who was also making her full league debut for The Church. Brown took the ball under control before unleashing an absolutely incredible strike from what seemed an impossible angle, rifling the ball into the roof of the net. A stunning finish.

However, just three minutes later, Long Itchington were awarded their second penalty of the afternoon following another appeal for handball. Once again, the decision left the visitors feeling extremely aggrieved.

But once again, EJ Leigh was there. The Long Itchington penalty was struck down the middle at a comfortable height, allowing Leigh to make the save and preserve Alvechurch's three-goal advantage. Justice, from a Church perspective, had been served.

If the third goal had been a contender for goal of the game, the fourth was certainly not far behind.

On 64 minutes, Jones and Baker attempted to combine once more, but a Long Itchington defender managed to get a foot in ahead of the winger. The ball fell kindly, though, to O’Brien. From distance, she struck it first-time. The ball kept travelling, and travelling, before dipping underneath the crossbar and into the back of the net. An absolutely scintillating strike, and a first goal for the football club for O’Brien since arriving in February.

And the five-star performance was completed just five minutes later.

Lawton grabbed another assist after controlling the ball and producing a beautifully weighted pass over the top of the defence. Olivia Betts, introduced from the bench only moments earlier, raced through, beat the goalkeeper, who had flown off her line, to the ball and calmly tapped into an empty net.

The only slight disappointment for the travelling side came with virtually the final kick of the match, as Long Itchington grabbed a consolation goal with a well-struck effort from the edge of the area that looped over Leigh and into the net.

But it did little to dampen what had been an outstanding afternoon for Alvechurch Women. A depleted squad travelled to Long Itchington, but you would never have known it. Five goals. Five different scorers. Two penalties saved. A collection of stunning strikes. Three points.

The perfect way to begin a new season.

FULL-TIME: LONG ITCHINGTON LADIES 1-5 ALVECHURCH WOMEN

⚽ Olivia Baker
⚽ Freya Lawton
⚽ Simone Brown
⚽ Lara O’Brien
⚽ Olivia Betts