Alvechurch 2 Stourbridge 1 - Report and pictures
Disappointed Stourbridge boss Gary Hackett admitted his side were second best after two goals in quick succession early in the second half brought their season to a close and earned Alvechurch a trip to Kings Lynn in the play-off final.
And he was frustrated by a decision on the stroke of half-time not to send off Church defender Zack Foster for handball - an offence that earned him just a yellow and allowed the Glassboys to take the lead from the resultant penalty.
The manager said: “We’ve had to give up home advantage but it’s still a game over 90 minutes and we fell short - they just had that little bit extra today and that’s something that is very hard to take.
“Of course we would have had an advantage being at home - we have one of the strongest home records in the league - but I don’t want to use that as an excuse.
“I had a straight choice - five players said they would struggle to get time off on Wednesday so what was the point of beating Alvechurch on a Monday and then having a half baked team to play on Wednesday against a very good side. We had to take this as it was the lesser of two evils but we’ve done nothing wrong, finished in third and it should have been a home game.”
Josh March and Ash Carter were denied by excellent saves from Stourbridge keeper James Wren in the opening half before Foster’s handball allowed Greg Mills to fire the visitors into an interval lead.
“If he’s booked him for that [handball] then it should have been a straight red,” Hackett added.
But after going in at the break with their noses in front, the Glassboys were found wanting on 56 minutes when a long ball over the top wasn’t dealt with and Andre Landell nipped in to head past the advancing Wren.
Mills was denied at the foot of the post soon after but five minutes later Alvechurch took the lead when a sweet pass from Josh March teed up Jamie Roberts and the striker placed his shot into the bottom right-hand corner.
From then on Stourbridge piled players forward as they pushed for a way back but the closest they went was a curling 25-yard effort from Luke Benbow which keeper Dan Crane did well to push over the bar.
Hackett added: “We were 1-0 up at half-time and it was all about doing the basics well, the game management. But then their first goal is appalling - a gift - and the game changed very quickly after that.
“We’ve had a couple of shots but we fell short.”
