On a rather summer-feeling night for football, the lights were beaming down for Richard Tonks's side final game of the season against a title contender in Lye Town Juniors, who had stumbled of late but still very much in the race to become the new champions of the MFYL Southern Division amongst other clubs competing at the summit.

HOW IT UNFOLDED:
The early exchanges were very scrappy and tense as both sides tried to adjust to the tough surface. Both sides having to play different styles on the bobbling pitch. It did take a while for the sides to get used to it so made for more of a midfield battle. However, the first opportunity arrived the way of the home team, who saw an effort flash just wide of the mark on 10 minutes.

Only 3 minutes later, the hosts made the breakthrough. A brilliant piece of skill in the middle of the pitch allowed the midfielder to steer clear of the challenge. He continued his surge towards goal before slipping the ball into his striker, who hit a shot from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Logan Elliss thought he had done enough to keep the strike out but it clipped the inside of the far-hand post taking it over the line and in for a lead.

The response from Alvechurch was fantastic though and they now started to generate chances of their own.

On 23 minutes, the visitors saw the woodwork deny them an equaliser. The cross-field pass from Jayden Lees opened up the space for striker Harry Ackerman. He took it under control before shifting the ball to his right and unleashing a venomous effort from his right boot that came back off the base of the left-hand post. The ball squandered out into the middle but Lye were fortunate to clear the impending danger.

The chances began to come for the away side. Lees involved in most of the attacking threat for Tonks' travelling troopers. He lifted the ball to the back post for Ackerman, but this time, he couldn't keep the shot down as it sailed over the crossbar. Minutes later, it was Ackerman crossing for Jaelon West, but like his strike partner, he couldn't quite get his head over the ball to test the Lye number one.

HT: LYE TOWN 1-0 ALVECHURCH

The bare 11 players continued to grow in confidence and belief, sensing they could get something from the contest. Having held the league leaders a little less than four weeks ago, they knew they had the quality to really hurt the home team.

6 minutes after the restart, Church had a massive chance to level proceedings. A dazzling and blistering run from Ray Malvero Vuu opened up the space for the right-back. He played a fantastic exchange with Max Iles in the middle, who in-turn flicked it into the path of striker West, who saw the gaping hole in the Lye defence. He surged into that space, tried to curl it into the near corner but got it all wrong and the effort spurned past the woodwork denying us a leveller.

It was to be third-time lucky though this time for West. Having failed to score in every appearance so far for the Under 18's, he finally opened up his account for them on the 57th minute. A quick throwing caught the hosts off guard, allowing Lewis Hart to bring it under control, he flicked it into the stride of West. West fainted to pass before cutting past two Town defenders and rifling a stunning effort over the top of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to set off deserved celebrations.

The goal really ignited real hope and installed a genuine belief to the players that they could now go on and win the game.

The next big chance arrived with 20 minutes remaining. A quick counter attack from a Lye move was brilliant for the travelling side. Hart won the ball back before driving forward with pace and purpose, he slipped the ball into Iles, who controlled and drilled the strike towards goal but there was a superb block in the middle from the recovering Town defender to deny us a second!

With minutes remaining of the encounter, Church ventured forward to try and steal the winning goal but the ball came back off the upright from a tight angle from the skipper, Jac Beaty, who couldn't quite believe it. So, so, so unlucky and so close to claiming all three points away from home in their final game of the campaign.

FT: LYE TOWN 1-1 ALVECHURCH