Opening day. Bright sunshine. Church on the road with a clean slate, with five players in the starting eleven that finished last season with the club.

Six competitive debuts then - Redman Evans, Will Merrett, Harry Flowers, Elliott Dugan, Jessy Bavanganga and Kyle Storer line up in Church colours for the first time.

Sunny, but windy conditions for this encounter, and Church played with the breeze from the start. There was early probing of the Stamford box, but the forays were relatively easily repelled.

On 20 minutes a Storer free kick from just inside the Stamford half finds Bavanganga deep in the home box, but his header loops harmlessly over. Three minutes later Obadeyi collects the ball on the edge of the box and curls a shot on target. It's better from Church.

Stamford counter just before the half hour mark with a through ball that surprisingly beats the offside trap, and the home side earn a corner as a result. Evans sends the ball straight back up the length of the pitch and Sullivan is inches away from connecting to send the ball around the home keeper but the home goal survives.

Best chance of the half comes on 43 minutes when Obadeyi drives on target from the edge of the box, forcing the home keeper into a full length diving save to claw the shot away fir z corner.

Close again on the stroke of half time as a Sephton throw is flicked on at the near post, and Dugan connects but steers the ball wide of the target.

Half Time : AFC Stamford 0 Alvechurch 0

The second half begins on a negative note with an injury to Obadeyi, with Ngandu making an earlier than anticipated entry into the game.

Neither side is really managing to get the ball down so far, and so there is frustratingly little in terms of openings.

A massive chance on 56 minutes following a Ngandu free kick from wide left, when the inswinger creates chaos in the Stamford box, but Church can not just get a decisive touch before the defence clear into Perry full force, before being smuggled away.

There follows a better spell for Church, and Sullivan is unlucky to see a curled effort, heading for the far corner, take a nick if a defender's head to divert the ball just wide of the far post.

Church's defensive shape has been good throughout in a game of few clear cut chances.

The home side are still looking for a decisive say in the outcome of the game though, and a period of pressure on the Church goal inevitably follows, as the Church defence for their clearances falling to another wave of red shirts. Another series of corners for Stamford , and the Church defence needs to stand firm again, with Bavanganga putting his body on the line with one particularly impressive block.

A double save from Evans in stoppage time brings the curtain down on Church's defensive display, before a chance for Ngandu, created by Willock, flies wide of the angle of the goal in a frantic end to the game.