Brand new start, with six starters making their competitive debuts for Church. New venue for a Church match, with Church having last visited Bishops Stortford in 1981, 18 years before they moved to their current ground.

Relegated from the National North at the end of the last campaign, the hosts were fielding pretty much a new side for this Southern League opener, with a new manager, Steve Castle at the helm.

Church started the game very much on the front foot and could have been a couple of goals to the good before the home side had got going. Just four minutes in, and Sterling-James squares the ball across the face of the Bishop’s Stortford goal, but with the net gaping the defence smuggled the ball away for a corner before a decisive touch from a Church player. As the bright start continued Dyer curled a shot from 20 yards that was deflected just wide, and on six minutes Willis struck a shot through a crowded area, on target, that was beaten away by keeper Binns.

As the frenetic opening spell settled down, the home side began to find a foothold in the game, and on 28 minutes made the first decisive strike with a goal on the break. Russell beats the offside trap to get behind the Church defence, and drills the ball across the face of the six yard box from the by-line to find Roberts with a simple chance a couple of yards out to steer the ball into the gaping net.

From the retstart Church should have registered an equaliser. Sweeney flicks on a ball out of defence and Barnett finds himself in on goal, but with a clear sight of the target he steers a left-footed effort wide of the far post with everyone pretty much expecting the net to bulge in what would have been an immediate response to the home side’s opener.

Another chance for Church on 32 minutes as Sephton drives low on target with an angled drive that nearly squirms under Binns, but the ball is finally cleared away for a corner.

But there was to be a further sucker punch for Church before the break as Bishop’s Stortford bagged a second goal on 38 minutes. A sweeping move through the heart of Church’s midfield sees a third pass find Russell with a clear sight of goal, and the lively front man makes no mistake with a powerful shot that flies past Woods from just inside the box.

Half Time: Bishop’s Stortford 2 Alvechurch 0

There is no let-up at the beginning of the second half, with the home side seemingly on the hunt for a game deciding third goal.
The next goal comes from Church though on 67 minutes with a class finish from Sterling-James as he converts a 25 yard free kick from a central position, with the ball arrowing into the top left hand corner of Binns’ net.

Church were looking brighter at this point, but the home side were doing their utmost to manage the game to their advantage as the game became punctuated by a series of stoppages and delays that frustrated Church in their efforts to register an equaliser.

The best chance came on 89 minutes after Sweeney received the ball deep inside the home box, but with his back to goal, was unable to execute the turn and shot with enough accuracy, and the ball cleared the bar for an agonising miss.

A multi player and bench clearing melee erupted deep in stoppage time, but a yellow card for each side seemed to suffice for the referee as eight stoppage minutes ticked into ten, and a disallowed goal from Church after a glancing header and an assistant’s flag signalled time on Church’s endeavours to register any points in this season opener.