Church recorded their first successive league wins since late September with this latest success over relegation threatened Barwell.
The win means that Barwell can now no longer catch Church points wise, and strengthens Church’s position vis a vis the bottom four to a gap of eleven points from St Ives, who occupy the fourth relegation spot.

A sluggish start from Church allowed the visitors to create a first half lead in a poor quality forty-five minutes.

Barwell had made a positive start to the game, and had a good opening on 6 minutes with Jarvis on the overlap having a good sight of goal, but screwing his shot wide of the far post.
Church responded with a chance for Powell, when after creating space by tracking inside, fired well on target, but keeper Carr was well behind the shot for it not to be too troubling.

The quick long ball through the heart of the Church defence was proving to be most effective for Barwell, and from one of these on 19 minutes Hakeem gets on the ball and fires just over on the turn.

It was a warning to Church, but not heeded well enough as the same ball two minutes later found Seaton behind the Church defensive lines, and the Barwell man executed a composed finish to rifle the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Barwell were not playing particularly well, but they had taken their chance. The home side continued to press, and Dugmore drives the ball across the face of the Barwell goal forcing Carr into a smart parry back into the danger area to the feet of Miles, but the Church man cannot sort his feet out quickly enough with his back to goal, and the Barwell defence swoops to clear.
In first half stoppage time a far post corner finds Bavanganga unmarked and ready for a decisive contact, but his downward header is off target.

Half Time: Alvechurch 0 Barwell 1

Church are on the front foot from the off at the beginning of the second period.
Obadeyi is in a threatening position deep in the Barwell box, and after cutting inside he sees an angled shot deflected wide for a corner. Three minutes in and Church are peppering the Barwell box, and Obadeyi has another effort blocked. The tide has definitely turned and the visitors look like the struggling side they are.

On 54, Barwell break out from their defensive duties and threaten after a long clearance, but Jarvis curls the effort from the edge of the box wide of the target.

But a minute later there is a breakthrough. Great hold up play from the ever willing Powell tees up Obadeyi for a shot which is blocked, but only into the path of Abbey at the far post, and the Church front man sweeps the ball in for the equaliser.

Powell is having much more joy down the right flank than he did down the left in the first half, and another angled drive from the Church man is beaten away by Carr at the near post.

It’s a prelude to the next goal as on 68 minutes the next Powell surge forward takes him to the byline, and an attempt on goal draws a parry from Carr that falls to Ilesanmi, who unerringly returns the ball goalward and into the far corner of the empty net.

Its good game management from Church to see out the game despite Barwell’s increasing desperation that sees 22 players in the Church box for a stoppage time corner that comes to nothing as Evans claims under pressure.