Coming into the game in their best run of form this season, Tyrone Barnett's troopers were aiming for their fourth win in a row. Future Pro Academy, Bedworth United and ADFA Leicester have all tasted defeat in the last three outings to the resurgent Church side. Starting to find their feet, starting to gather themselves as we approach the run-in.

HOW IT UNFOLDED:
The visitors, Pro Direct Academy Birmingham, made the brighter start of the two teams as they went in search of the opener. The two teams were locked on the same amount of points heading into today's contest. A nervous start from the home team was giving the away side some real belief in the opening 10 minutes.

On 4 minutes, a foul on the edge of the area resulted in a free-kick. The winger stepped up to take the effort and flashed the strike just wide of the woodwork to go mighty close. Three minutes later, if not for a wonderful sliding tackle from Oscar Shipp, it may have been first blood drawn but his block stopped a certain goal as Church were yet to wake up.

But on the 15th minute mark, PDA's early pressure finally told as they made the breakthrough. A foul inside the area from a clumsy tackle resulted in a penalty kick. The referee didn't hesitate and the away side had the opportunity to take a deserved lead on the basis of play so far. The striker stepped up and slotted into the bottom corner to ensure that they had something to show for their early efforts.

The goal seemed to kick Church into gear though as they now started to generate their own opportunities. Within the space of a minute of each other, two chances evaded us. A sweeping move from the lads saw Louie Clifford float a long diagonal ball into the area for Will Hicks at the far post. Hicks attempted to take the shot on from the half volley, but it travelled wide of the target. 30 seconds later, another beautiful delivery was on the money, but no-one in amber and black on the move to guide home.

GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!! Another crafted move from the boys saw the ball fall to Jaedon Lindsey. Our forward man picked his head up before teeing up Clifford in the middle, who came ghosting in to smash home at the far post and draw us level. 1-1.

From there on in, it was all Alvechurch.

A goalmouth scramble on 23 minutes was the latest of the chance-ridden encounter. Clifford saw his pass deflect into the path of Hicks, who couldn't quite divert it home as his effort was dragged. However, the strike fell kindly for Jaelon West at the far post, but he couldn't sort his feet out in time, and the chance was gone.

Having missed a sitter with not being able to sort his feet out, West then did make it count. Brilliant hold-up play from Lindsey, who had a lot to do to turn the ball into Clifford's runway. The dazzling midfielder, always involved, managed to skip past a challenge before slipping it to West. West still had a lot to do to score, but he rifled his effort into the far bottom-right hand corner to hand us the lead.

The Church were running riot and should have had five before the interval! So easily could have been. Pressure to the maximum. Hicks does well at one end to deny PDA levelling the game. He races away to find Clifford in the other half, he cuts inside, unleashes his effort but the goalkeeper sprung across his goal to make an important save.

On 32 minutes, Sam Talliss pinged a ball forward onto the head of Lindsey, who flicked it on and freed Hicks. Our wing-back drove forward but his effort was right at the goalkeeper and yet, the third goal still hadn't arrived. Four minutes later, Clifford fired in a free-kick to the back post, which fell perfectly for Talliss, who headed the effort straight at the goalkeeper. The header was too hot to handle and Zay Clarke fired a cross back in from the rebound but no-one could meet it in the middle.

Chances. Chances. Chances.

Another two missed to keep us at two, only!? Jake Hatcher pulling the strings in the middle, played a wonderful ball out to Hicks on the wing, who dragged his marker out of position freeing up the space in behind, and he attempted to square it for West in the centre, but the pass couldn't meet its intended target! Moments later, Clarke was next to try his luck but the goalkeeper stood tall to make a vital save.

FINALLY!!! That third goal did arrive, at long last. Clarke had the better of his marker, passing him with ease, he saw Clifford in the middle and opted for the pass. A brilliant decision as the midfielder tucked home at the back post. The linesman flag did go up on the far side but the referee overruled him and gave the goal due to not being in the line of play when the ball was fired across the area.

HT: ALVECHURCH 3-1 PDA BIRMINGHAM

Breathheeeee... maybe not because the chances just kept coming, even more in the second half!

Barely two minutes after the restart and Alvechurch were truly in the groove this afternoon. The ball was fired into the feet of West, who had to create his own space for a shot. He sat two defenders down in the middle before rifling the effort into the roof of the net to give us a fourth, it well and truly ended the game but for West, he was now on for another hat-trick.

Clifford produced an unreal piece of skill, he then zipped the ball to Lindsey. Our forward delayed the shot, trying to square it for Clifford in the middle, who was also on the hunt for the match ball. But, PDA got back and snuffed out the danger.

To their credit, PDA continued to push and had three chances of their own to pull one back. One of their midfielders found a bit of room to get a shot away inside the penalty area and forced a really good save from Spike Whitehouse. The second of their three saw their playmaker received the ball on the half-turn before gathering pace to take the shot on from the edge of the area. The effort was off target though as it safely travelled over the crossbar. The final chance saw Whitehouse called into action on not just one occasion, but two. The initial shot was well saved with his chest and the follow-up was cannoned in, our number one stood up tall to smother it.

The chances to reduce the deficit would come back to bite them though as Church added a fifth to the score-line. A throwing on the near side was thrown into the feet of West, who had a lot of work to do. He took on that challenge, skipping past three PDA defenders and smashing his shot towards goal from the edge of the box, which was too hot to handle for the goalkeeper, leaving him stranded as the ball sailed into the net for our fifth and his third of the afternoon.

Past the hour mark, and if the score-line had reached double figures by this stage, I don't think anyone could disagree that it weren't deserved. More chances just came and went. On 61 minutes, Lindsey with more intelligent hold-up play, he then slipped the ball through for Clifford, who rammed the shot towards goal forcing a good save and the ball fell for Musa Jarju at the far stick but his effort was dragged wide from 8 yards out.

Lindsey, who deserved a goal for all his hard work up front, just couldn't quite find his scoring boots today. He looked offside in the build-up but play was waved on and our striker, having a tough time in-front of goal lately, fired the ball into the side-netting to add to his frustrations.

SIX OF THE BEST. A corner delivery caused chaos for the PDA defence. Hatcher brought the ball under his control, shifting the ball to find that room to take on the strike. His effort was rifled through a whole host of bodies and it found the far corner to put us in dreamland. A truly captivating performance from the in-form Alvechurch team.

It was 7-1 on 77 minutes. Another beautiful delivered cross from the corner routine was met wonderfully by Oscar Shipp, who rose the highest in the middle and powered home his header at the back post to grab his first goal of the 2024/2025 season. The defender is fast improving and he got his well deserved moment after his strong performance this afternoon.

The chances continued to come but neither could convert until the last kick of the game. Adding the gloss to an already peak performance. Max Iles beat his marker before hitting a venomous strike towards goal, the goalkeeper maybe should have done a lot better but it didn't matter as it landed in the back of the net for our eighth goal of the match and the long overdue final whistle came just seconds after.

FT: ALVECHURCH 8-1 PDA BIRMINGHAM