A hard fought away point on the Suffolk coast on Saturday sets KTFC up for another away trip this time under the lights at Alvechurch in the West Midlands.

With only eight games left, four away and four at home and a potential 24 points at stake, we are well and truly into the last phase of the league campaign. Of the top five, the Poppies are the only team in midweek action and the tie at Lye Meadow represents our last game in hand. There are only three points separating the top five as the top three teams, Halesowen, AFC Telford and Bedford Town, are all on 63 points.

Alvechurch meanwhile, despite losing at the weekend to Stamford away 0-1, have a unrivalled home record winning their last six games (2-1 Bromsgrove; 1-0 Redditch; 1-0 Bishop’s Stortford; 3-1 AFC Telford; 3-2 Barwell and 4-0 Lowestoft Town). Over the last six games, Alvechurch have two wins, three losses (0-1 Stamford away; 1-0 Bedford Town and 2-1 Kettering Town) and a draw (0-0 Banbury away) scoring four goals conceding five.

‘The Church’, under the managership of Tim Flowers, are a robust physical side and reside in mid table mediocrity 11th place in the league. In the last six game league overall form guide, they are 12th in all games (7 points from a possible 18), home third place (having picked up 15 points from a possible 18) and 20th in the away form league (two points from six games).

In contrast, seven places and fourteen points separate the two teams. KTFC, with two wins in the last six games (2-1 Alvechurch; 0-2 Leiston; 1-3) together with two losses (2-3 St Ives and Bedford 1-3), and two draws (Halesowen Town 0-0; Lowestoft Town0-0), have dropped to fourth place in the league. The Poppies sit 10th in the overall form guide have attained eight points from a possible 18 (10th place for home form (10 from 18 points) and 5th position for away matches (10 points out of 18). Luca Miller is back from his loan period. It’s a tough away fixture at a critical moment in the campaign. COYP!

ALVECHURCH

Season        V        Comp           F-A     Att:   Poppies Scorers

2018-19        H        ESLSPC       1-2     1567   Stanley

          A        ESLSPC       3-1     359    Hoenes.2, Towers

2023-24        H        PISLPC        2-0     783    Yussuf.2

                     A        PISLPC        1-1     321    Miller

2024-25        H        PISLPC        2-1     859    York, Noel-Williams

POPPIES WINS:   3    GOALS FOR:  9

THE CHURCH WINS:        1                             GOALS AGAINST:               5

DRAWS                           1

Played for both clubs (10)

Goalkeepers

Steve Stott, Nick Wright, Orrin Pendley, Michael McGrath, Kyle Perry, Khaellem Bailey-Nicholls, Dan Jezeph, Kobe Chong, Kemy Agustien, Omari Sterling-James.

Alvechurch players sent off v Kettering Town (1)

Mackenzie Lamb     2023-24 (a)

ALVECHURCH

Manager                            Tim Flowers

Ground                             Lye Meadow

Position in League           11^th (47pts from 33 games)

Leading League scorer    (7) Dan Sweeney

FORM (5 GAMES)

Form last overall                LWWLL        6pts    Equal 11^th in the form table

Form last away                  LLLDD          2pts

Form last home               WWWWW    15pts

THE CHURCH SO FAR….