Church's Season Wakes Up With Five Goal Haul at Barwell

Two sides looking for their first win of the season, and it was the visiting Church side who found their mojo in the game, destroying the home side by a 5-0 scoreline.

Alvechurch: Brown, Birch.M, Sephton, Brown-Hill, Hull, Willets, Daley (Birch.J 72), Botfield, Wakeling (Marselia 79), Cook (Hamilton 50), Monteiro
Subs not used: Hill, Lloyd

Barwell: Bramley, Ashmore, Putman, Cotterill, McAteer, Edwards, Delfouneso (Redhead 46), Dunkley, McDonald (Hollis 46), Hickey, Williams (Davidson-Miller 66)
Subs not used: Browne, Bennett

In an even opening spell, Church probed without any clear openings. Barwell carved out an opening on 9 minutes with a short corner to McAteer that gave the defender an opportunity for an attempt on goal that flew wide through a crowded area.
A minute later, Brown-Hill swung a ball into the Barwell box, and Wakeling found himself free in the box but could only stab the ball over the bar with a clear sight of goal. On 18 minutes, Ashmore fired well wide when he found himself in a good position inside the Church box., and soon after, a quick Barwell break saw the ball fed through to Ashmore again, and this time his low shot found the target but Brown was up to the task and saved well low down.

All changed on 24 minutes when a beautifully flighted free kick from wide, left the boot of Botfield and found the head of Hull deep in the Barwell box, and the ball was glanced into the far corner with keeper Bramley nowhere.

There was muted response from the home side who presented some good approach play but lacked any quality in the finish to trouble Brown in the Church goal. On 36 minutes a strong run through the midfield by Williams and then a strong shot unleashed that flashes wide of the far post.

Church’s second and third followed in quick succession in the last five minutes of the half to effectively kill Barwell’s resistance before the break.
On 40 minutes Botfield ran with the ball two-thirds of the length of the pitch, but as he was taken out with a late tackle thirty yards from goal, he managed to steer the ball to Wakeling who had the sniff of the Barwell goal in his nostrils. He taunted the defender withy the ball at his feet before gliding past into the box and firing across and through Bramley to double Church’s lead.

Two became three just three minutes later following another great delivery into the box, and Willets deftly nodded the ball down into the path of Wakeling who was again prowling in the heart of the Barwell box, and the Church forward’s control and instinctive finish gave the exposed Bramley no chance.

Half Time : Barwell 0 Alvechurch 3

The second period was a little more feisty as Church looked to repel any possible revival from Barwell.

Any threat, when it did materialise was efficiently repelled by another resolute defensive display that had also been so much in evidence in the FA Cup tie at the weekend, albeit with the home crowd and players ready to appeal for any potential infringement in and around the box in order to gain a foothold in the game.

But Church capitalised on the open nature of the game on 63 minutes with a fourth goal following another delicious ball across the box. A great flowing move down the Church right, and Birch sees the potential in the box, drills the ball across the face of the goal, missing out Monteiro, but finding Wakeling unmarked at the far post with a golden opportunity to convert to complete his hat-trick.

Barwell’s plight became a touch bleaker when Dunkley received his marching orders after felling Hull in the centre circle, as tempers threatened to overshadow the footballing aspects of the game. A number of needless yellow cards for both sides, but more significantly a red for Dunkley on 78 threw the game open even wider. Even with a man down Barwell were not lying down though, and missed a golden opportunity to spoil Church’s clean sheet on 82 minutes when Hickey steered wide of an open goal from a few yards out.

Church had more than a couple of chances to enhance their goal difference in the remaining minutes, but added only one, on 86 minutes, when an out-swinging corner found the head of Hull, whose effort was cleared off the line, but substitute Hamilton turned in the rebound for his first goal for the club and complete the nap hand.

This was Church’s first league win since New Year’s Day when Redditch were defeated 3-2 at The Valley – a run of 14 Southern League matches that had yielded just 2 points from 2 draws – a 0-0 draw at Leiston in February and the 2-2 draw with Royston Town in the first home game of this season