League Leaders Consolidate Their Position With Latest Win

Alvechurch: Jezeph (Phillips 33), Ezewele (Candlin 85), Sephton. Turton, Willets, Carter, Dias (Bellis 71), Brown.Z, Waldron, Clayton-Phillips, Hamilton
Subs not used: Brown.T, Mansell

Banbury United: Taylor, Roberts, Brown, Babos, Langmead, Williams, Stevens (Roberts 53), Finch (Reilly 85), Wreh (Sodeinde 90+4), Landers, Acquaye
Subs not used: Johnson, Harding

In the first instalment of a double-header against the top two in the league, Church were looking to get their season back on track after their nine game unbeaten run had come to an end at Redditch on Boxing Day.

Banbury came into the game at the summit of the table, having won the last five league games.

The conditions and the crowd gave the game an old-school feel in a competitive first half.

Jezeph was the busier of the two keepers early on, saving low at the second attempt from Landers and then a dipping shot from Roberts in the first ten minutes, before Wreh was cautioned for a late sliding tackle on the Church keeper on 20 minutes. This would lead to his departure just after the half hour mark.

Church’s earliest chance came on 27 minutes when Dias fired a curling free kick from 25 yards out that keeper Taylor touches around the post at full stretch.
A minute later, Jezeph is called into action again as he has to come smartly off his line to kick away a through ball on the stretch to deny Stevens ten yards outside his area.
The Church keeper needed treatment again, and within minutes he was being replaced by Phillips.
The substitute keeper did well to settle into tha game, and in fact kept the scoreline blank on the stroke of half time with a good reactive save to parry a long range shot from Wreh as Banbury had threatened on a swift counter attack. Better still, in first half stoppage time, Church give away possession in midfield, and Phillips is forced to save well with a strong hand after the referee had played an advantage.
A gritty performance from Church in this first half, going toe to toe with the league leaders – just missing the final coup de grace in front of goal. The forward trio perhaps need to trust themselves more in taking a pop at the target a bit sooner, especially in these conditions.

Half Time: Alvechurch 0 Banbury United 0

Straight from the whistle Church threaten as Clayton-Brown feeds Brown, whose first time shot is palmed over the bar by Taylor. Turton’s corner finds Willets at the far post, and his header loops just over.

A header on target by Dias after Church work the ball well up the pitch, and Sephton delivers a cross into the heart of the box.

But as the half develops Church find themselves increasingly penned in their own half. The home side are struggling to gain meaningful possession, and the game has become untidy.
The pressure is building, and it looks like a goal might be coming, which it did on 67 minutes as Banbury move the ball quickly down the left flank, and culminates in a powerful strike by substitute Roberts, across Phillips and into the far corner.

Church responded with a thrusting run from Carter, whose shot forces Taylor to make a smart low save to his right, and the loose ball is hacked away from danger to give Church another corner.

A big let-off at the other end sees the ball somehow stay out of the net after it loops goalward, with a combination of post, keeper and defender scrabbling the ball away, before a follow up shot across the face of the goal is deflected wiode of the far post.

A nice passing move from Church on 77 almost brought an equaliser, and ends with Brown firing a low shot just inches wide of the post with Taylor a spectator rooted to the spot.

Phillips is called on a couple of more times as the game enters its latter stages, but proves himself fully up to the task in his first league outing for the club, but after he turns an 88th minute deflected shot aside the ensuing corner ushers in the match deciding moment as Banbury grab a second goal to finally extinguish Church’s resolve.
From the corner the ball is seemingly cleared off the line, but the assistant’s flag signals that he believes the ball has crossed the line and the points are heading to Warwickshire despite the vociferous arguments of the Church players.