Church Fail to Break Winless Run Again

After a run of nine games undefeated before Christmas, it is now a run of only one league win in nine as the form that catapulted Church into the play-off spots has massively deserted them.
As worrying, presumably, is the fact of four blank scoresheets in those nine games.

Alvechurch: Jezeph, Mansell, Sephton, Hallahan (Asomugha 88), Willets (Turton 88), Carter, Bellis (Waldron 58), Brown, Nesbitt, Clayton-Phillips, McLintock
Subs not used: Cassidy, Patterson

Nuneaton : Breedon, McWilliams, Charles, Osbourne (Mussa 58), Daly, McManus, Kaziboni, Dowd (Magunda 90+2), Benbow (McGrory 77), Dwyer, Noble
Subs not used: Perry, Master

In a tight first half, there was a lot of quick feet, and smart passing, but little penetration from either side except for the early opening that the visitors carved out and converted, and gave them something to first hold onto, and then build on.

Church had hit the woodwork in the first minute when Clayton-Phillips drilled the ball across the box, and Nesbitt steered the ball against the face of the post from close range, and on 6 minutes a nice move through midfield carved out an opening for Bellis, who drove the ball on target only to see it beaten away by Breedon.
But a minute later Church were undone by a near post corner for the second game running, when the ball seemed to elude everyone before entering the net off the body of Jezeph.

It cost Church a point at Leiston a week earlier, and it was a big set back in this game given the paucity of goals the team are scoring at the moment. The goal was credited to Charles, being the result of a “well-rehearsed corner routine”.

On 17 a clever short corner from Church, and an angled shot from Nesbitt, just wide from deep in the box.

Church pressed for an equaliser, but well into the second half, and still no opening for a goal.
Best looking chance came after 73 minutes when a cross from Waldron was only half cleared, and a volleyed effort from Brown from 20 yards out flew just over without involving Breedon.

The sucker punch came on 82 minutes as Church’s hunt for an equaliser was effectively neutralised when a ball dinked up to the far post was me by a downward header from ex-Church man Dwyer who steered the ball past Jezeph unchallenged.

A flurry of substitutions inspired Church briefly, but it proved to be to no avail, and a stoppage time effort from Clayton-Phillips from point blank range summed up Church’s recent luck when the ball hit Breedon and looped over the bar to safety.