Having put four past Hitchin Town on home turf last time out, Alvechurch were aiming to finish the rollercoaster of a 2024/2025 season on a high and ensure they roll into next season on the bounce at Lye Meadow. A man that was at the centre of the news last weekend was Kieran Wakefield, who grabbed his first home goals for the football club in the win against the relegated side. But, he was looking to finish the season with at least another for his own confidence but also for Tim Flowers' troops to conclude with a flourish.

HOW IT UNFOLDED:
An action-packed and blistering opening 30 minutes for the home side, who had racked up more chances in the first half hour thsan they had created over the last four games combined - at least it felt like that!!! How we weren't ahead in the opening period will have left Tim Flowers frustrated on the side-lines. Failing to take chances when they arrived our way...

Inside four minutes, Church had their first chance. Shay Willock brought the ball under control before teeing up Joe Willis, who spun the ball in behind the Lowestoft defence for Callum Sullivan to latch onto. He raced through, and attempted to lift the effort up and over the goalkeeper, who was miles off his line, but the snapshot ended up landing the wrong side of the woodwork to deny us an early lead.

More minutes passed along and Church had another great opportunity to smash the door down. Sullivan lifted the ball into the danger area from the dead ball situation. Willis climbed but so did his co-partner Archie Crowther. One just had to call it and it would have probably sailed into the net but both got in the way of each other. The header, not sure who it came off in the end, but the ball trickled wide of the far-hand post to continue our search for the deadlock breaker.

Two chances on 22 minutes and 24 minutes. The first saw Willis slipped through on goal following a brilliant move from the home team, he attempted to toe-poke it past the goalkeeper but the goalkeeper stood strong to make a vital save for his travelling team-mates. The second saw the ball cannon against the crossbar. The cross was on the money for a Church player to attack. However, the danger dropped for Dylan Barkers, who volleyed an effort towards goal seeing an away defender throw himself at the ball. The ball landed in the air and Willock leaped at it to power a header towards the goal but the effort came back off the top of the crossbar.

Things became even more evident four minutes later as to Church' lack of composure in-front of goal. Three chances in the span of a minute, the chances were starting to rack up and the hosts' frustrations continued to grow. A sense of anxiety in the ground as well, as we all know what tends to happen if you don't take your opportunities.

The first of three saw the ball floated into the back post and captain Krystian Pearce rose to meet the cross right on time. His header was on target but the goalkeeper flung himself back across his goal to make a stunning save to deny our defender before Lowestoft were able to clear the danger. Sam Perry then tried his luck from 20 yards out, he was denied by a sensational block from the away defence, who to their credit were digging in deep. The third of third saw Cameron Davies flying in at the back post on the right-hand side. He flew towards the ball following Finn Howell's cross, but his header glanced the left-hand post and out for a goal-kick.

By far, the most amount of chances that the home side have created in a first half of a game this season... but yet still no lead for their efforts.

What did I say about not taking chances?

On 33 minutes, a shock to the system for Alvechurch, who found themselves BEHIND. A switch of play from Louis McIntosh found Joao Rangel on the far side of the area. He brought it under his stride before cutting inside and unleashing a low driven shot beyond the despaired dive of Ronnie Hollingshead, who could do nothing about it. Alvechurch 0, Lowestoft 1. Who would have thought that after the first 30mins?!

It was almost two at the end of the half, too. From our own corner, the away side broke with real pace and purpose. Rangel again involved managed to break clear of the troubled players trying to race back in. His speed took him to within a whisker of giving them a two-goal lead. He was very positive with his running, but as he reached the final stage, which was the finish, he was denied by a MASSIVE save from our number one, on loan from West Brom, who stood up to the challenge and got down well to his left to save the shot.

GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!

AT. LONG. LAST. Alvechurch finally found their shooting boots. Right on time, and what a time to score. Two minutes added on at the end of the half, one minute into that and Shay Willock brought us level. Cameron Davies whipped the ball into a superb area in the channel, Willock muscled his man off the ball before driving towards goal. Just needs the composure now, and he rifled through the ball, which rippled into the back of the net at the near post.

HT: ALVECHURCH 1-1 LOWESTOFT TOWN

We need a breather after that breathless first-half of football...

Things didn't slow down in the second period though. Eight minutes into the second half and the comeback was completed. Substitute Ammar Dyer, on in place of Callum Sullivan, was fed through on goal following a smart pass from Willis. Willock held off the challenges allowing Willis to take over, he slipped it through the middle of the defence. Dyer latched on, his second touch was a bit heavier than he would have wanted, but still got the shot off. The shot was well saved, but rebounded for Kieran Wakefield, who took a touch before calmly rolling the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to give us the lead!

Could we kick on now?

The answer to that was a resounding NOPE. Literally, 30 seconds later, the visitors showed proper character and resilience. They knocked the ball long from the restart and we messed about with it at the back. Failing to clear his lines, our defender was robbed off possession. He wanted a foul, but it wasn't forthcoming. The striker ran clean on goal. Substitute goalkeeper, Dale Eve, who kept a clean sheet last time against Lowestoft, was picking the ball out of his net this time, as the striker rounded him to slot home and level matters.

Back to where we started, all square. Flowers furious with his team. Church sucker-punched.

It was a good reaction from the team in amber and black though. On 64 minutes, it could have easily been a penalty but also could snatched the lead back. A long floated ball over the top saw Pearce rush for it and get his head on it first, the goalkeeper flattened our skipper, but the ball fell kindly for Willock, who was forced into shooting as quickly as possible with pressure coming in behind him, he saw his shot cleared off the line from the recovering defender.

But, four minutes on from the chance for Willock, the Worcestershire based football club regained their advantage again. KIERAN WAKEFIELD AT IT AGAIN! Four home goals in two games. He's certainly found his form late on this year. Church work it well and Willis flicked the ball on into Wakefield's path. He went the long way around but found a bit of space inside the area to drill the shot hard and low underneath the dive of the goalkeeper, who couldn't keep this one out and we found a deserved lead plus the winner.

From there on in, Flowers rang the changes, and Church worked hard to see out the three points.

FT: ALVECHURCH 3-2 LOWESTOFT TOWN