Bishop’s Stortford 0-3 Alvechurch Match Report

Bishop’s Stortford 0-3 Alvechurch Match Report

22/08/26

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Steve Castle returned to the dugout on Saturday but Bishop’s Stortford suffered a third consecutive defeat at home against Alvechurch. The visitors to the Grundon Community Stadium won 0-3 to go third while the Blues sit 21st in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division table after four matches.

Miracle Okafor fired over the bar with a sweetly-struck volley from a long ball, before Jack Kelly headed wide from a right wing cross following a free kick. Fabio Virciglio had the first shooting opportunity for Stortford, spotting a gap in the defence he dribbled towards goal but shot wide with a low effort. Nick Clayton-Phillips gave Church the lead inside half an hour with a powerful strike past an unsighted Max Woodford into the right side of the net. Blues captain Jake Thompson blocked Okafor’s shot from the edge of the box on the stroke of half time and defended the following corner. 

HT 0-1

 

Frank Norris’ sliding finish from Obi Onyeagwara’s cut back was saved by Redman Evans, and the Alvechurch lead was doubled when Okafor received the ball in the box and curled the ball into the right side of the net from a central position with minimal backlift, shooting before the goalkeeper or defence were set. Manny Ilesanmi jumped highest to get his header on target but was flagged offside at the far post after Woodford’s save. Substitute Aaron Greene twisted and turned in the box looking for a pass but was surrounded by amber shirts, his shot went straight to Evans before his free kick was deflected wide by a defender. Following a spell of Stortford pressure, Kieran Wakefield dribbled from halfway on the counter-attack but his low left footed shot across goal went wide of the bottom right corner. Ilesanmi’s shot in the box from a left wing cut back was blocked by Alfie Thornett, but the forward picked up the loose ball and rifled the ball in at the near post. Harry Titchmarsh saw a free kick inside the D go just over the bar before Charlie Johnson’s close range effort was parried by Evans after a corner. Jackson Chukwu-Nsofor picked up a loose ball in the box but his shot was straight to Evans and Thompson fired wide from a corner in second-half injury time.

FT 0-3

TEAMS

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Max Woodford

2 Joe Nardelli (Greene 64’)

3 Leon Davies

5 Jake Thompson (c) (Yellow card 72’)

6 Alfie Thornett (Yellow card 17’)

9 Frank Norris (Yellow card 60’) (Chukwu-Nsofor 76’)

10 Bradley Russell

11 Obi Onyeagwara

12 Fabio Virciglio (Baker 53’)

14 Jack Smith (Titchmarsh 59’)

22 Charlie Johnson

Subs

7 Tyrone Baker

8 Harry Titchmarsh

16 Mark Haines

17 Aaron Greene

19 Jackson Chukwu-Nsofor

Alvechurch XI

1 Redman Evans

2 Harry Reilly

3 Jack Kelly

4 Jamey Osborne (Yellow card 83’)

6 Archie Crowther (Yellow card 56’) (Rask 83’)

7 Sam Perry (c)

8 Jonny Ngandu (Wakefield 53’)

9 Miracle Okafor (Goal 59’) (Stephens 75’)

17 Jessy Bavanganga

18 Manny Ilesanmi (Goal 77’) (Obadeyi 83’)

21 Nick Clayton-Phillips (Goal 28’) (Sanches 70’)

Subs

10 Ben Stephens

11 Tope Obadeyi

15 Kieran Wakefield

19 Gus Sanches

23 Johan Rask (Yellow card 90+3’)

Attendance 322