Football
Profitable day for Alliance sides

ALVECHURCH earned their second Midland Alliance victory of the season in dramatic style as they won 4-3 at Ellesmere Rangers on Saturday.

However, they came within a whisker of throwing away maximum points in a match they were completely dominant in and led 3-0 at one stage.

Alvechurch will want more of the same attacking verve in tomorrow's FA Vase second qualifying round tie at home to Walsall Wood, but will definitely be keen to shore things up at the back.

The fireworks began in the first minute when Omari Sterling-James raced clear of the home defence with ridiculous ease before squaring the ball to Elliot Nash to convert from 12 yards.

Ten minutes later Rangers keeper Maguire denied Joe Wright in a one-on-one and from the rebound Sterling-James' follow-up effort was cleared off the line by Brown.

The visitors were totally dominant and doubled their lead in the 28th minute when defender Liam Spink fired home from the edge of the box and it was soon 3-0 after a great break down the left by Nash, whose perfect cross was confidently volleyed home by Ryan Edmunds from 18 yards.

There was still time before the break for Sterling-James to be thwarted in another one-on-one and strike the post, whilst in between this James O'Reilly was left unmarked to head home at the far post and reduce Rangers' arrears.

Shortly into the second period it was 3-2 when Ellesmere were awarded a penalty for handball in a melee in the box and Andy Rich converted the spot kick.

Alvechurch reasserted their dominance with their fourth goal in the 55th minute when Jamie Spencer surged down the right and centred for Nash to crash home his second goal of the game.

Scott Smith nodded just wide from a corner and the menacing Sterling-James missed another gilt-edged chance and, incredibly, Rangers made it 4-3 with a second penalty converted by Rich after Smith was penalised for a shirt pull.

Alvechurch squandered two more golden chances to score in the closing minutes and in stoppage time they were almost made to pay when Adam Humphries' interception of a cross saw the ball divert on to his own bar.

Alvechurch have been drawn at home to Stourport Swifts in the first round of the Worcestershire Senior Urn and the match will take place on October 9.

They also have a home tie in the first round of the Birmingham Senior Cup, in which they will face Leamington at Lye Meadow on October 23. Studley host Halesowen Town in the first round.

STUDLEY produced a battling performance to earn a highly creditable 1-1 draw at home to high-flying Rocester in the Alliance on Saturday.

It was hardly a classic but the hosts were certainly not found wanting for effort and took a 30th minute lead when Tom Lacey broke well down the left and crossed for Matty Collins to steer a low strike into the bottom right hand corner of Richard Froggatt's net.

The Romans almost levelled shortly after the restart but Bees keeper Sam Brady superbly palmed Edwin Asante-Ahenkorah's powerful drive around the post.

Lee Knight's side came close to doubling their lead soon afterwards when midfielder Mark Hands' clever back header from a long free kick went close, before Chris Sterling volleyed a yard over the bar at the other end.

Just as Rocester appeared to be running out of ideas in their quest for an equaliser, Carl Allen, Joe Rogers and Jack Langston exchanged passes just inside the Studley half and the ball was popped high over the home defence, who to a man, had pushed upfield.

Sterling was trotting away from goal and would clearly have been several yards offside had he gone for the ball but, as the Studley players waited for the flag to go up, Asante-Ahenkorah raced through from an onside position to head the bouncing ball over Brady before tapping it into the empty net in the 78th minute.

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