Pride – Progress – Prize Money. FA Cup Glory As church Make National Headlines

All the ingredients for a cup-upset story.....

League 1 against a village side. 96 places between the league placings of the two sides.
But still eleven against eleven, and the real question was as to who would put themselves on the line to make their own history over ninety or so minutes of football – perhaps a more level playing field than thought.

Alvechurch: Jezeph, Burton, Sephton, Neto-Tiexeira, Willets, Carter, Abbey, Edge, Concannon (Williams 74), Waldron, Hamilton (Brown 84) subs not used: Cassidy, Behan, Taylor, Woolley, Hallahan

Cheltenham: Southwood, Long, Williams (Nlundulu), Freestone, Sercombe, Taylor, Adshead (May 67), Lloyd (Norton 46), Jackson, Broom, Olayinka subs not used: Bradbury, Raglan, Chapman, MacDonald, Bonds

And to be honest, it would have been difficult to know which of the two sides on the field was the higher placed, and full time professional of the two.

In praise of Church; despite a shaky opening ten minutes when there were a couple of mis-kisks and mis-placed passes, but the nerves quickly settled, and the organisation and discipline of the team was evident to see. No panic, no flap, level headedness and no small measure of quality thrown in.
Church played their part in silencing and then inciting the frustrated home crowd, in whom displeasure at the incumbent manager Wade Elliot had grown before the game, and became increasingly vocal during it.

The fact that Church took the lead in front of their huge following set the tie up perfectly, and must have dented Cheltenham’s already fragile confidence. They were playing without much real thought and Church’s shape looked increasingly confident in their job of repelling the obvious aerial threat, and then play on the break. But that was not by any means the only tactic, and in a well-drilled first half, the Southern League Premier central side enjoyed 50% possession throughout, and most significantly too, a half time lead.

Just 19 minutes on the clock, and the hard working Tyrell Hamilton seizes on hesitancy in the Cheltenham central defence, and from 35 yards out Danny Waldron assumes control, takes the ball on twisting and turning as he advances on the home goal, and getting the ball onto his left foot strokes the ball low into the Cheltenham net from the edge of the box to ignite delirium in the massed ranks of support from Worcestershire.

Just after the half hour Church won their first and only corner of the game as another Waldron shot is deflected wide. The ball is half cleared from the area, and Tom Edge returns a volley that flies just over.
Two Dan Jezeph saves in the final five minutes of the half preserve Church’s lead – first a save low down to cut off an overhit through ball threaded from deep inside the box, and then a smart cross from Broom and a shot from Olayinka is turned aside with a diving save to his right.

Half Time: Cheltenham Town 0 Alvechurch 1

Not resting on their laurels, Church were still spearheading an attacking threat as the second half unfolded. And within five minutes of the restart the home side were stung again as Church carved out a second goal – A strong run through the heat of Cheltenham’s defence by Aurio, and Hamilton takes over, and his effort on goal screws back off the post, but Waldron being alert to react first to hold off a defender’s challenge to steer the ball into the gaping net and a two goal lead that all Church folk could have only dreamed of.

But within five minutes Cheltenham drag themselves back into contention with a goal of their own.
Broom sends a ball across the width of the box, a head flicks the ball on, and falls kindly to Jackson unmarked at the far post, and a first time volley across Jezeph nestles into the far corner of the Church goal.

On 65 minutes Broom blazes the ball over the Church bar after a Jezeph punch to clear a cross from Long in a really good chance to bring the hosts level, and then at the other end Hamilton twists and turns inside the box before firing powerfully over the home bar in another close shave.

Cheltenham thought they had drawn level on 72 when a free kick from the corner of the box, and a scramble at the far post sees Jezeph somehow smuggle the ball to safety in his hands when it looked easier to concede.

The clock is running down, but Church are not camped in their own half, and the ever-hungry Waldron is not quite done for the afternoon. Picking the ball up on the edge of the Cheltenham box he tracks across the face of goal to make room for a sight of goal, and fires an arrowed effort that beats Sothwood but not the post, and the ball cannons back off the upright where an inch to the left and he would have earned a hat-trick ball. It would have been a fitting end to this giant-killing afternoon, and would have epitomised Church’s attitude to the game; well-organised without the ball, and decisive with it – and a 3-1 win would not have flattered the scoreline in any shape or form.

But Church hold on for six minutes of stoppage time to claim a place in the second round proper for the second time, and claim their second ever Football League scalp in the process.