It would be easy to present this game as a litany of missed chances, and excuse the fact that the scoreline was not 4-4 or 5-5 with criticism.
But the reality is that even though the boatload of chances created by both sides should have been rewarded with better finishing, the absence of the finishes only added to the drama of the game as it unfolded.

Full bloodied derby is what we expected, and this is what we got.

Church were looking to break a three game league run without a win, and in all honesty this run could have been a distant memory by half time as Church took the game to the hosts, creating a catalogue of openings that were begging to be taken.

True, the Church faithful were left frustrated at half time that the scoreline was still goalless after what had unfolded on the Halesowen box.
As early as the 7th minute Reilly drives the ball superbly across the face of the Halesowen goal, and you feel Okafor simply has to score by diverting it from close range into a gaping net, but it squirms away as his first touch is off cue.
Church win a free kick a minute later, and Rask steps up to drive the ball from 20 yards arrowing towards the top left hand corner, foiled by an excellent full stretch save from Platt.

On 12 minutes Evans saves with a strong hand after the ball squirms through and Casidy faces up close in.

On 19 minutes another ball into the box creates havoc, but the home side scramble it away after denying Church two half chances.
Two minutes later a great flowing move up the pitch sees Forsyth release Ngandu up the right, and after tracking in from wide he works the ball across the face of the goal and Okafor is on hand again, connecting better this time to turn the ball on target, but straight at Platt who manages to turn the shot around the post to concede another corner.

Down to the other end and on 36 minutes Sullivan clears off his own line after a loose ball from Rask sets up the home side on a quick counter; close range effort that should have been buried.

Half Time: Halesowen Town 0 Alvechurch 0

Halesowen wake up in the second period. An in swinging corner from Halesowen sees the ball fly inches wide of the foot of the post. The first of many half chances.

On 58 minutes Halesowen on the break again, finding Cowley, who is strong to gain possession thirty yards out on the right flank, and spotting his chance, chips Evans only to see the ball come back off the foot of the far post, after which Evans can recover to clear.

It is a frantic few minutes for Church defensively, but the shut-out survives.

And then Church drop a bombshell that really silences the vociferous crowd as Ngandu outmuscles his marker near the by-line, and tracks into the near post area before stabbing the ball in from a tight angle.

This sparks more response from the home side.
And after a period of pressure, just nine minutes after Church’s opener it begins to ramp up. A deep cross from the Church right arcs towards goal and clips off the Church bar. It is returned into the box by Meredith, and Butterfield puts the ball against the Church post. A minute later Silva curls the ball into the heart of the box again, and Cassidy ghosts in to bullet a close range header past Evans, who had no chance.

Church respond. Newton drills just wide after Caesar’s pressing forces a turnover and loose pass, but the game reaches its ultimate deadlock destiny n what is probably a fairly taken point for both sides, and Church can take a well earned breath before their FA Cup clash at Spalding at the weekend.