Alvechurch v St Ives Town
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 24-03-2026
Written by Nigel Howlett
Another improved performance earned Ives their first point on the road since December and it could prove to be a vital one as it lifts them one point clear of the drop zone with six games to go. Their hosts will be equally happy with the point as, although not yet assured of safety, certainly have their fate in their own hands with four of their six remaining games against teams below them in the table.
After tough games against the top two at the weekend both managers took the opportunity to freshen up their squads Church manager Kyle Storer made three changes to his starting eleven off the back of the hosts 2-0 reverse to table topping Harborough. Following Ives excellent, hard fought, point against second place Spalding manager Ricky Marheineke went two better making five changes. Debutants Ben Hart, a late loan signing from Spalding, and Luton Town loanee Kai Source coming in as full backs were joined in the starting eleven by Dan Lawlor, who had missed the Spalding game as it was against his parent club, Reuben Wyatt and Neo Dobson.
The game started in some very unspring like conditions with a strong breeze blowing corner flag to corner flag down the well known Church slope. There was also the promise of a squally shower blowing through on the breeze and perhaps unsurprisingly the first fifteen minutes saw almost no goalmouth action at all as both sides tried to come to terms with the conditions.
The first half chance of the game fell to the hosts in 16th minute as Callum Powell almost latched onto an attempted header back to Ollie Taylor by Hart but Ives custodian was alert to the danger and bravely slid in to claim the ball off the toe of the Church striker.
Four minutes later it was Ives turn to create a half chance as Dan Lawlor delivered a dangerous low ball into the box that looked like it was going to get all the way through to Jernade Meade arriving at the back post but the covering Will Merrett did just enough to prevent the midfielder turning the ball home.
Ives went a lot closer in 23rd minute. A rampaging run down the right by Hart followed by a quick one, two, with Wyatt ended with the debutant delivering a low cross into the centre that was just inches from the toe of Dobson arriving at pace. But having gone so close to getting in front Ives then gifted their opponents the opener only two minutes later Powell tried to run at their back line and was tackled but two defenders then inexplicably left the ball to each other allowing Manny Ilesanmi to nip between them and fire past a startled Taylor into the roof of the net.
Getting their noses in front lifted the hosts and they spent the rest of the first period pressurising the Ives box without really creating many opportunities to add to their advantage. There were two noteworthy efforts during that period. In 31st minute Felix Miles was upended just outside the D by Gibou Njie but Taylor got his five man wall perfectly positioned and held on well to Powell’s low drive which was straight at him. The Church then thought that they ought to have had a penalty two minutes before the break as the tricky Powell got into the box and went down under challenge from Duncan Idehen but referee Callum Johnson had a good view of the incident and waved away the appeals.
Church continued to press in the early part of the second half with Joe Willis firing an early opportunity well over the top and Taylor needing to be alert to beat Powell to Ilesanmi’s flick of keeper Redman Evans wind assisted punt. Ives weathered the storm well and went close themselves in 57th minute. Willis slid in on Amaru Kaunda 30 yards from goal to earn himself a yellow card and give Lawlor the chance to deliver one of his pin point free kicks into the box. Sure enough he picked out the head of Ethan Creary by the penalty spot but the Ives centre back could only direct his free header over the top and was somewhat saved by the upraised flag of the assistant.
Just after the hour a master stroke from Marheineke changed the game as he made a triple substitution with Theo Alexandrou, Matty Miles and Tyrone Baker replacing Kaunda, Hart and Njie respectively. Less than sixty seconds later Ives were level as Alexandrou cleverly working himself a bit of space and fed in Dobson who calmly slotted the ball past the exposed Evans.
Now it was Ives turn to enjoy a purple spell, sadly further real opportunities proved hard to come by with Meade cutting out a poor clearance from Josh Dugmore before advancing and firing well over from 25 yards the only noteworthy attempt although the movement in the Ives front line was impressive the final ball failed to pick out the runner or was delayed a little to long leading to Alexandrou twice getting caught offside when he almost got clear.
The hosts made four substitutions of their own but failed to create any real threat until deep in added time when two of them combined with Kieran Wakefield getting to the bye line on the left and picking out Tope Obadeyi with his pull back to the near post but the Church number eleven got underneath the ball and fired his effort well over the top to ensure that the points were shared, a fair result on the night.
Both sides battle to stay above the waterline sees them head into critical weekend away fixtures with Church heading to one from bottom AFC Sudbury and Ives making another long trek back to the West Midlands to face Stourbridge who sit two places and five points above them.
Final Score: Alvechurch 1 St Ives Town 1 Half Time 1 – 0
Goals:
ALVECHURCH: Ilesanmi 25
ST IVES: Dobson 63
Team Line Ups:
ALVECURCH: Evans, Dugmore, Medrano, Sullivan, Pearce (capt), Perry, Willis, Merrett (Bavanganga 74), Powell (Wakefield 68), Ilesanmi (Abbey 82), F. Miles (Obadeyi 80), Unused subs: Corns
ST IVES: Taylor, Creary, Source, Idehen, Dobson, Hart (M. Miles 62), Kaunda (Alexandrou 62), Wyatt (Hickenson 87), Lawlor (capt), Njie (Baker 62), Meade, Unused subs: Tessler
Referee: Callum Johnson
Cards: Yellow: ALVECHURCH: Willis (58), Medrano (60) ST IVES: Njie (36)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Neo Dobson
Attendance: 189
