Alvechurch 1-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

Alvechurch 1-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report 16/12/25

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Jez Abbey scored in second half injury time on his debut for Alvechurch to snatch a point and deny a win for Bishop’s Stortford on Tuesday night. The Blues had led this Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division encounter since Saleem Akanbi’s first half strike but were denied three points by the late goal – the match had been rearranged from 15 November due to both sides progress in the FA Trophy with fixtures on that date. Steve Castle’s side climb to 12th in the table, eight points from the Play-Offs and 10 points above the relegation zone.

Harry Forde crossed from the left wing, it looked to be drifting in at the far post with Redman Evans parrying the ball clear, Virciglio hooked the ball back across but no-one could meet it. Forde tried to cross back in but it was blocked for a corner, Evans punched it clear and on the counter-attack Jonny Ngandu saw his shot from the right side of the box parried by Adam Hayton. Akanbi dragged a low shot from 20 yards wide of the bottom left corner, but from the next attack, he latched onto a long ball as it dropped through the layer of fog that was hanging above the pitch, and chipped the ball over the onrushing Evans into the empty net.

HT 0-1

The fog intensified in the second half as did the pressure from the hosts, with Hayton making a low double save from a left wing cross early on. Charlie Johnson did force a fine diving save from Evans with a powerful volley in a rare attack for the visitors, before Josh Dugmore crossed from the right but Kieran Wakefield fired over the bar from close range. Johnson was require to head the ball off the line from a right wing corner chance, before the defender had a headed chance of his own hooked off the line from Cole Dasilva’s right wing free kick. Johnson cleared from a right wing cross and Stortford defended from the following corner, before Abbey’s goal in the fifth minute of injury time. There was still time for the Blues to mount an attack, with Akanbi dribbling through on goal, but his shot was saved by Evans’ legs. Substitute Revin Domi’s corner kick looked to be easily cleared at the near post but the Church player miscued towards his own net with Evans tipping the ball over the bar for a corner on the opposite side, which the hosts cleared.

FT 1-1

TEAMS

Alvechurch XI

1 Redman Evans

2 Josh Dugmore

3 Ethan Sephton (Yellow card 67’)

8 Joe Willis (c)

10 Jonny Ngandu

12 WIll Merrett

14 Callum Sullivan

15 Kieran Wakefield

17 Jesse Bavanganga

18 Manny Ilesanmi (Dugan 16’)

23 Szhem Whyte-Hall (Abbey 63’)

Subs

13 Jenson Kilroy

9 Elliott Dugan

16 Dieter Schwarm

21 Louie Clifford

24 Jez Abbey (Goal 90+6’)

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Adam Hayton

3 Leon Davies

4 Cole Dasilva (Amu 87’)

5 Jake Thompson (c)

6 Mark Haines

10 Bradley Russell

12 Fabio Virciglio (Onyeagwara 33’)

15 Eyituoyo Akinbulumo (Yellow card 90+2’)

17 Harry Forde (Castle 59’)

19 Saleem Akanbi (Goal 29’)

22 Charlie Johnson (Yellow card 15’)

Subs

7 Charlie Castle

8 Revin Domi

11 Obi Onyeagwara (Domi 90+3’)

16 Rehan Field

18 Erin Amu

Attendance 162