Alvis come from behind to defeat Droitwich - The Droitwich Standard
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Alvis come from behind to defeat Droitwich

Droitwich Editorial 26th Mar, 2016 Updated: 17th Oct, 2016   0

DROITWICH SPA’s hopes of playing at Walsall FC’s Bescot Stadium were dashed as two goals in seven second-half minutes ensured Alvis Sporting Club came from 1-0 down to beat the Saltmen 2-1.

Despite Macaulay Finch putting Spa 1-0 up after 23 minutes, Alvis regrouped after the interval with goals from Tommy Maguire and Charlie Cooks securing the victory for the visitors.

On a day blighted by the heavy wind and rainfall, it was Spa who settled the quicker of the two sides with their first chance to attack the Alvis goal coming from a Jack Brighton free-kick inside five minutes but the poor delivery was dealt with relatively easily.

Poor deliveries once again came to the disappointment of the Saltmen as from their first corner of the game on 10 minutes, Brighton’s inswinger had gone out of play behind the goal line before making its way back into the penalty area.




With 15 minutes on the clock, neither side failed to test the goalkeepers as another corner from Brighton was collected comfortably by Alvis stopper Ashley Hooker.

However, with Spa beginning to pile on the pressure in the terrible playing conditions, the deadlock was broken when Finch poked home from close range after latching on to James Lemon’s header from Brighton’s well delivered free kick from 40 yards out in the 23rd minute.


Brighton must have thought he got on the scoresheet five minutes later but his excellent free kick from 30 yards out was expertly tipped round the post by Hooker – the final chance of the half as the remaining 17 minutes saw both sides cancel each other out, with Alvis failing to register a shot on goal.

Following the half-time oranges, the rain picked up and Spa made the most of the conditions but two corners inside the first 10 minutes were easily dealt with by Alvis.

Despite their early pressure, it was Alvis who got the next goal of the game in the 55th minute when Maguire capitalised on the Saltmen’s poor defensive clearance before smashing a low drive that crept its way over the line despite Matt Oliver’s efforts to save the shot.

The equaliser from Maguire turned the game in Alvis’ favour as they began to play some free-flowing football and seven minutes later, they found themselves ahead in the most controversial of fashions.

From a free-kick near the corner spot, Cook leapt like the proverbial salmon to glance a header towards the back post which was deemed to have crossed the line despite the desperate efforts from the Saltmen to keep the ball out.

Alvis continued to assert their dominance, with Spa looking shaken as they had let what seemed a comfortable 1-0 lead slip in the space of seven minutes, however, with the introduction of Callum Burleigh, the Saltmen almost grabbed the equaliser.

With only five minutes remaining, Lemon found himself in some space down the left and crossed the ball into the area but in acres of space, Burleigh could not divert his header on goal, much to the relief of the Alvis players and staff.

Despite trying to force their way back into the game, Alvis held out and claimed a narrow 2-1 victory that sent them to the Bescot Stadium where they will meet either Knowle or Paget Rangers.

Spa’s next game sees them make the trip to Paget Rangers on Easter Monday (March 30) for a Midland League Division One clash.

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