In stark contrast to the season opener at Stamford, Church delighted the home crowd with wave after wave of neat and flowing attacking play, creating enough chances to win more than one game, but ended up winning none after Bromsgrove struck late to claim the points.

Three minutes in a Bavanganga throw is flicked on by Timson, and a subsequent shot from deep inside the box is blocked. And in the next phase of play, excellent play by Sullivan to get to the byline sees him cut the ball back for Dugan, whose low shot is well saved and held by keeper Harrison on his line.

It is all Church in an attacking sense, and the pressure pays off on 7 minutes when Nile Timson, making his competitive debut for Church in this game, gets on the end of a head back across goal following a corner, and powers a header goalward, and just over the line before being cleared, with a goal being signalled by the assistant.

Sporting have a little spell of pressing at the other end, but the Church defence looks well organised and in good shape.

On 29 minutes, great play by Church sees a fluid move into the Bromsgrove defensive third, and Ngandu sees an effort blocked, with the ball falling kindly for Dugan whose follow up effort is well saved by Harrison.
Church are relentless, and next Perry robs a defender, feeds Ngandu, and there is another shot on target which requires another Harrison intervention.

Bromsgrove almost snatch an equaliser on 39 minutes when a throw skims of a defensive head, and Benbow reacts to get contact on the ball, but his flick clears the bar.

Church are pressing again as the first half moves into stoppage time, and great work by Sullivan again allows him to lay the ball off to Sephton, and the defender’s 30 yard drive clips the top of the bar with Harrison at full stretch.

Without doubt Church have controlled the game narrative thus far, but the lead is slender and not reflective of the balance of play.

Half Time: Alvechurch 1 Bromsgrove Sporting 0

It’s a better looking Bromsgrove at the beginning of the second half, and two minutes in Clayton-Phillips whips the ball in from the right flank, but straight at Evans.

It’s to and fro though, and on 53 minutes down at the other end the lively Sullivan tracks towards goal again with the ball glued to his feet, and looks on in anguish as his low shot cannons off the foot of the post and to safety. A minute later, a Bavanganga arrows a shot in from 30 yards which is spectacularly saved by Harrison. A clever corner, driven in low, dummied by Pearce, finds Gugan, but he cannot steer his effort on target from deep inside the box.

Church are looking to put a better, and more realistic gloss on the scorelaine.

Evans is called into action on 64 minutes to deal with a recycled free kick – the initial ball is powerfully cleared by Pearce but as the ball comes back in a diving header from Arthur is superbly clawed away from the foot of the post by the Church keeper to deny Sporting’s best chance so far.

Substitute Willock is proving to be a different threat form Church now, and it is a great run by the Church striker through the heart of the Sporting defence that deserves a better outcome after he advances to feed Ngandu, and the latter’s shot across Harrison comes back off the far post but unfortunately back into play rather than over the line, and the visitors escape what would have probably been a game winning second goal.

It is still all Church in an attacking sense as on 69 minutes Dugmore swings a high cross to the far post, with Willock connecting to steer the ball back goalward but just over.

With just a single goal in it this game is far from done, as witnessed by a swift move from the visitors on 75 minutes which sees a swift counter and shot on target, but Evans is well placed to gather.

Sucker punch then on 86 minutes when a cross is whipped into the heart of the area, and a superb point blank save from Evans looks at first decisive, but first to the loose ball is Benbow for the visitors, who is on hand to stab the ball over the lien from close range for the equaliser.

Church are stunned that the game may have got away from them at the death, but worse was to come, despite a strong shout for ma Church penalty in the first minute of stoppage time, when Ngandu goes to ground bursting through onto a threaded pass from Dugmore, but there is no interest from the officials.

The game is really stretched at this stage, and for the first time in the game, the visitors are exerting control, and it pays off four minutes into the added on time when a solo effort from substitute Hall sees him pick the ball up, track across the face of the area, and send a low shot back into Evans’ left hand post area, with the Church keeper at full stretch.

It’s a bitter pill for Church to swallow, and those missed chances now loom large in the mind as thoughts go to what might have been.