Second Win In Four Days For Church Closes Gap In Table

Back to Lye Meadow for a first league game in two and a half months.
Alvechurch: Jezeph, Cassidy, Sephton, Williams, Carter, Net-Teixeira, Abbey (Willets 83), Edge, Concannon (Hallahan 73), Hamilton, Waldron (Olaloko 90+3) subs not used: Randle, Bower

Stratford Town: O’Brien, Mace, Morrison, Hawker (Molyneux 75), McCone, Disckinson, Akubuine, Lafferty, Wright, Grocott (Taylor 84), Dawes subs not used: White, Beresford. Sammons

A very much more wintry feel in the air than the last time Lye Meadow hosted a home Southern League Premier Central game. That was on September 24th when Leiston were the visitors and an enthralling 3-3 draw ensued.

Just like in the game a few days earlier, Church made a blistering start, and found themselves two goals up in the opening 16 minutes. After just five minutes a defence splitting through ball found Tom Edge in the Stratford box, and rounding keeper O’Brien, the Church midfielder smartly slotted in from the angle to open the scoring.

Dan Jezeph intervenes three minutes later to foil a Stratford break, diving and gathering the ball at the feet of Lafferty one on one after the visitors had broken quickly.

Just before the quarter hour mark, the ball rattles momentarily around the Church box before Dawes stabs the ball wide. But this was as good as it got for Stratford, who straight after, found themselves two behind and chasing the game. Jack Concannon is impeded on the edge of the Stratford box, and Jed Abbey steps up to provide an increasingly expected outcome – shot through the wall and goal.

As half time beckoned Stratford had a rare foray on the Church goal, and Jezeph saved low at the foot of the post after the ball had been swung into the box.
But once again, as the action swung to the other end of the pitch, Church found a way to goal and a three-nil half time lead when Danny Waldron beat the offside line, and dinked the ball over O’Brien with an angled effort that nestled nicely in the back of the Stratford net.

Half Time : Alvechurch 3 Stratford Town 0

Church’s dominance was looking a touch less secure on 56 minutes when K=Lafferty steered in a loose ball from close range after Jezeph had parried an effort from Grocott.
Stratford went on to enjoy their best spell of the game thereafter, and a free cick on 66 threatened the Church goal, but a flicked header from a Church defender diverted the danger over the Church bar, and then a drive from Lafferty, and a flick from Dawes forced keeper Jezeph into action with a smart save on his own line.

The home side steadied the ship again soon after, when on 72 minutes the three goal lead was restored. Good work on the left flank by Sephton, a driven cross, and as the ball falls to Tyrell Hamilton in the box, he drills it into the far corner to make the score 4-1.

There was still time for the visitors to threaten a second comeback, with a goal on 77 minutes after Dawes crossed and Grocott steered the loose ball in from twelve yards after it had been half cleared.

In the end a comfortable win for Church, and one that although not improving the league placings significantly, does make the points column easier reading, and with six points in four days, and still a significant number of games in hand, a few more good results will see Church rise steadily back towards the aspirational play off positions.