Alvechurch FC boosts its squad after recent competition losses.
Alvechurch FC were top of the league as we went to press, but sadly the boys in yellow were unable to defend the Worcester Senior Urn, being beaten on penalties away at Stourport Swifts.
Manager Ian Long made 11 changes from the side that beat Coleshill the previous Saturday, and the only first team regulars starting the game were Jack Cresswell, Babacur Sauane, Jamie Spencer and Connor Deards.
Goalkeeper Tim Beech, Khori Foster, Paul Healy, Ryan Edmunds and Josh Cooke made their AFC debuts, while youth was also given a chance with under-21 Brogan Halpin and under-18 Aiden Doherty also in the starting eleven.
’Church’ took an early lead through Cooke but Swifts equalised midway through the second half, and the scores were still level at 90 minutes.
No extra time was played; the match going straight to penalties. Spencer, Deards and Andy Nicol converted for Alvechurch, but Babacur Sauane’s effort was saved – while Stourport scored all five of their penalties to win the tie 5-3.
More cup misery was to follow as ’Church were knocked out of the FA Vase at the first hurdle by Sporting Khalsa, thanks to a first-half blunder and an last-gasp winner.
It was a frustrating and often tetchy encounter in which AFC failed to capitalise on first-half dominance and then shot themselves in the foot by gifting the visitors a goal on the stroke of half time.
Having clawed their way back into the game with a 63rd-minute equaliser from Jamie Spencer, the game looked to be drifting towards extra time. Until, that is, Khalsa’s David Meese pounced on a loose ball in the box and steered it in from close range to give his side the spoils in the 88th minute.
However, ’Church were still in the Polymac Packaging League Cup at the time of writing, with their fixture against league rivals Westfields rescheduled for November 22.
The change was due to Westfields playing in the first round proper of the FA Cup, but they were eventually knocked out by Curzon Ashton who play two levels higher. After a 1-1 draw at home they lost 3-1 away in the replay.
Westfields and the league both got plenty of publicity with BBC Football Focus broadcasting from the ground, features on Match of the Day and both BBC and ITV local news heavily featuring their progress.
Alvechurch also hope to progress in the JW Hunt Cup, playing Tividale on December 6. For both cup games they will be without central midfielder Ryan Winwood, who fell awkwardly while playing away at Brocton and dislocated his shoulder.
He was operated on and told he would be out for up to six weeks, but hopes to be back before Christmas.
The club’s best wishes also go to former AFC right-back Danny Ashton, who broke his leg in four places playing for Sporting Khalsa. Money raised by the half-time raffle when Church met Khalsa in the FA Vase was given to Danny, who attended the match.
* In transfer news, wide midfielder Ryan Edmunds has returned to Alvechurch. He first joined Church while playing for Birmingham City Academy, and returns after spells at Stafford Rangers, Rushall Olympic and Sutton Coldfield Town.
AFC has also completed the signing of centre-forward Josh Cooke, who started his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy before joining League 1 side Swindon Town. He had loan spells at Staines, Cheltenham and Gloucester.
The addition of centre-back Jamie Willetts will also strengthen the squad. Jamie spent six years at Stourport Swifts before moving onto Hereford last season – he was part of the promotion-winning team who were also finalists in the FA Vase.
Jamie also scored the winning goal for Stourport when they knocked Alvechurch out of the FA cup last season!
Meanwhile, centre-forward Andy Nicol has decided to leave Lye Meadow. Andy rejoined the club at the beginning of the season and started the season as a substitute.
Despite surely scoring the goal of the season with a stunning overhead kick, Andy could not make the number 9 shirt his own and, understandably wanting to play regular Saturday football, decided to move to local rivals Studley.
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Above: Jamie Willetts heads towards the Khalsa goal. Photo/ Steve Evans
FIXTURES
(all league games unless stated)
Sat Nov 26 3pm Tividale (H)
Sat Dec 3 3pm St Andrews (H)
Tues Dec 6 7.45pm Tividale (A) – JW Hunt Cup
Sat Dec 10 3pm Shepshed (A)
Sat Dec 17 3pm Boldmere (A)
Mon Dec 26 3pm Highgate (H)
Sat Dec 31 3pm Quorn (H)
Mon Jan 2 3pm Tividale (A)