Still Snow Win For Church

Alvechurch: Phillips, Mansell, Sephton. Turton, Willets, Carter, McLintock (Bellis 87), Brown.Z, Waldron, Clayton-Phillips (Candlin 90), Hamilton (Dias 74)

Subs not used: Ezewele, Brown.T

Coalville Town: Bukowski, Dean, Putman, Eggleton, Robertson, Towers, Shaw, Doyle-Charles, Berridge (Waite 77), Kee, McGlinchey
Subs not used: Taylor, Smith, Assuncao, Tomlin

Part Two of the double header for Church against the league’s top two.

A game that neither side would have wanted to lose (both having lost the last two), and both would have wanted to win to keep the heat on the play off places, but a share of the points, although a fair reflection of the game, did at least break the losing sequences at two.

A bright start for Church and a swift move through the centre involving Clayton-Phillips sees him feed Hamilton, and keeper Bukowski is forced to save at the feet of the Church frontman. A minute later a Turton corner and Hamilton is found at the far post and his first time effort is goalbound but for a defensive clearance for another corner.

On 16 minutes Hamilton and Brown combine for an opening inside the Coalvilel box, and the latter’s shot is beaten away by Bukowski’s legs for another corner. On 19 Bukowski denies Hamilton at point blank range after a great run and cross from the lively Sephton.
Coalville responded on 21 minutes with a strike against the outside of the post from Berridge after McGlinchey had stormed through the heart of the Church midfield and defence. But the deadlock was broken two minutes later after Phillips parried a shot from Berridge into the path of Kee, who slotted in from close range to give the visitors the lead.

Church were soon back on level terms following another Turton corner. And the 25th minute equaliser, when it came, broke a barren spell of 304 minutes since Danny Waldron scored Church’s third in the 3-1 win against Peterborough Sports on 11th December. The corner was headed down into the space occupied by Clayton-Phillips, and the Church man swivelled and shot into the goal from close range.

A good chance for Church on 37 when a drilled diagonal cross from Mansell flew across the face of the Coalville goal, just evading the sliding attempts of both Hamilton and Waldron to make contact and divert the ball into the gaping net.

Half time is beckoning and a double effort from McLintock could have seen Church go in with a half time lead, but his first volleyed effort from a dinked cross from Waldron was blocked and the follow up effort screwed just wide.

Half Time: Alvechurch 1 Coalville Town 1

A half time snowstorm changed the whole feel of the game, and both teams slipped and slid through the second period which consequently came quite scrappy.

Best chance at the Church end saw Carter excellently block a Coalville effort on 65 before Phillips produced a full stretch save to his right in the follow up, but otherwise the game suffered because of the conditions, the two sides were able to cancel each other out, and the match petered out to a draw that probably reflected the overall parity of the two sides.