Alvechurch Women produced a sensational second-half comeback at Lye Meadow Stadium this afternoon, overturning a 2-1 deficit to defeat fellow title-challengers Leamington Women 4-2 and preserve their perfect start to the 2026/27 campaign.

Six games. Six wins.

After victories over Halesowen Town and others at the beginning of the campaign, Church entered this afternoon's blockbuster with their 100% record intact, while Leamington arrived having won all three of their league fixtures. Two unbeaten sides. Two perfect records. One fascinating contest and what followed certainly lived up to the billing.

With wind and rain swirling around Lye Meadow, the visitors got us underway, but it was Church who immediately looked the more confident of the two sides.

Summer recruit Freya Lawton, who had already found the net three times in her previous three appearances, almost opened the scoring early on. She produced a superb piece of individual skill, nutmegging her marker before stepping inside and unleashing an effort which travelled narrowly beyond the far post.

Leamington responded. On 14 minutes, the visitors carved out their first clear opportunity, sending their striker racing through on goal. However, on-loan goalkeeper EJ Leigh was equal to the challenge, producing an excellent save down to her right before the covering defence arrived to clear the danger.

That moment appeared to wake the Brakes up. Two minutes later, they struck the crossbar with a long-range effort which looked destined to find the net, only for the woodwork to come to Church's rescue.

The game was swinging from end to end.

On the half-hour mark, Church created another excellent opening. Toni Kingscott lifted her head and produced a beautifully weighted ball around the back of the Leamington defence, releasing the rapid Aleesha Hussain. Hussain got in behind, took a touch and fired towards goal, but from an increasingly difficult angle could only find the side-netting.

Then came another huge moment for Leigh.

Three minutes later, the Leamington winger found herself completely free at the back post and brought the ball down before striking towards goal. Leigh made the first save, but the danger wasn't over. A Leamington player in dark blue was first to the rebound and looked certain to finish.Not on Leigh's watch. The Kidderminster loanee reacted brilliantly, springing across her goal to produce a stunning second save and keep the scores level and that double save proved absolutely crucial.

Because, just minutes later, Church took the lead. Olivia Baker, returning to the squad, beat her marker and reached the byline before hanging a cross into the area. Simone Brown had peeled away from her marker perfectly. She met the delivery with a thunderous header which flew into the net via the inside of the left-hand post.

A superb header. A superb goal. Church almost doubled their advantage ten minutes before the break.

Ross, who has been in excellent form herself, produced a moment of individual brilliance, flicking the ball over her defender before connecting with a stunning volley. The effort looked destined to dip underneath the crossbar. Instead, it crashed against the underside of the woodwork. Baker was unable to convert the rebound as Church came agonisingly close to a second.

Following a Leamington corner, the ball was cleared towards halfway and Ross picked it up before embarking on a remarkable run. Carrying the ball forward, and then further forward, she drove all the way towards goal. She couldn't quite wrap her foot around the eventual effort enough to find the far corner, but it was another magnificent display of attacking intent.

HALF-TIME: ALVECHURCH 1-0 LEAMINGTON

If everyone needed a breather at the interval, they weren't getting one after the restart.

Just four minutes into the second half, Church should have doubled their advantage.

A seemingly straightforward back-pass suddenly became anything but as the Leamington goalkeeper was forced into a rushed clearance. Giselle Kutia-Calame, introduced from the bench, pounced and caught the goalkeeper in possession. The ball became stuck under her feet, before she managed to get a shot away which was blocked by a covering defender. The rebound fell back to Kutia-Calame, but with the ball bouncing awkwardly, she could only hook her effort over the crossbar.

Within 70 seconds, the entire game had been turned on its head. Leamington found the equaliser with a superb attacking move. A cross into the area was met by a delicious touch from the striker, setting the ball up perfectly before she cushioned her finish into the bottom-left corner.

And then, just 70 seconds later... the winger created a pocket of space before bending an absolute pearler into the top-left corner.

From leading 1-0 to trailing 2-1 in little more than a minute. Church suddenly had work to do.

It almost got worse. Leamington came within inches of a third when a header from an outswinging cross crashed against the base of the post. Church survived.

And then, as they have shown throughout this season, they found another gear. The intensity increased. The pressure mounted. Church started chasing the game with wave after wave of attacks.

On 70 minutes, Hussain collected the ball down the left and swung a delivery into the area. It travelled through a sea of bodies before reaching Kutia-Calame at the back post. She smashed the ball into the net. The celebrations were short-lived. The whistle had already gone for a foul on Hussain.

Still, Church kept coming.

And once again, Leigh was called upon to keep her side in the contest. The goalkeeper produced another brilliant save down to her right, getting enough on the effort to divert it onto the post and away to safety.

Time was running out. Church needed a hero.

Cometh the hour. Cometh the hero. OLIVIA BAKER. Wow. Simply majestic.

The Leamington goalkeeper was guilty of giving possession away once again, and Baker didn't hesitate. From around 30 yards, she struck the ball first time. For what seemed like an eternity, the ball climbed into the air. Then it came down and when it did, it absolutely bolted into the top-left corner.

Church were level. But they weren't settling for a point.

Three minutes later, the comeback was complete. Giselle Kutia-Calame had worked tirelessly since coming on, constantly pressing and harrying the Leamington defence. Now she got her reward. She pressed at exactly the right moment, stole possession from the defender and suddenly found herself with the entire half of the pitch in front of her. No-one in sight. Kutia-Calame raced towards goal, kept her composure and rolled the ball calmly into the bottom-right corner.

From 1-2 down to 3-2 up in three extraordinary minutes. Lye Meadow erupted. But Church weren't finished. With eight minutes remaining, the points were sealed. Once again, it was Freya Lawton.

Receiving the ball from Brown, Lawton drove inside before pushing the ball beyond the onrushing challenges. She then whipped an outstanding effort across goal and into the far top-right corner. A magnificent finish. A fourth goal. Three points and the perfect start was preserved.

FULL-TIME: ALVECHURCH WOMEN 4-2 LEAMINGTON WOMEN

A perfect 100% record in all competitions and perhaps most impressively, a comeback victory against one of the early title contenders after falling 2-1 behind.

Church showed resilience, character and belief to turn the game around in a remarkable final 15 minutes. The Brakes had pushed them all the way. But The Church kept going and when the final whistle sounded, it was Alvechurch celebrating another memorable afternoon at Lye Meadow.

Six wins from six. Church march on.