AFTER stumbling and faltering like all the other teams to temporarily top the Midland Combination this season, Alvechurch came good when it mattered most to win the league before annihilating shell-shocked Cheslyn Hay on Monday.

The championship brought back an echo of the glory years at the once-great club who thrilled massive crowds in their picturesque village ground before winning the Southern League in the 1980-81 season.

In the two decades since that triumph the smattering of fans left from the legendary 13,000+ cup crowds have had little to shout about with the former giants - who produced internationals Alan Smith and David Kelly - folding and dropping down the leagues.

Mick Preece's Church side won the Smedley Crooke Cup two years ago - the only major honour the first team has won since reforming but Andy Hibbert's attacking side banished the barren run in style and capped their title triumph with a 10-1 home win in their last match of the season.

Joint managers Hibbert and Neil Bryan have fashioned a side who have won the title on the back of a tide of goals with top scorer Keith Rostill taking his tally to 53 in the rout which doomed Hay to the drop.

A week ago Church were looking at needing at least a draw on a tension-filled last day of the season to confirm their promotion but in the event, it was all over bar the shouting by Saturday tea time.

Title-rivals Coventry Marconi made life easier for Church by collapsing to a surprise 1-0 defeat to Nuneaton Griffs last week in their final fixture to leave Church needing just a draw from their last two games.

But Andy Hibbert's side left nothing to chance and rained in 14 goals with just one in reply from their run-in.

Former front-runners Rugby were banished 4-0 after a nervy start and poor Cheslyn Hay, who started on Monday needing a point to keep their faint survival hopes alive, were hit by a Keith Rostill-inspired whirlwind in front of a delighted home crowd.

The most important victory was secured last week when the Midland Alliance inspection committee passed Church's Lye Meadow home fit for promotion to reward the frantic efforts of players, fans and committee members who had laboured, often under the floodlights, to get the ground in shape.

And now the fans can look forward to the Willie Knibbs Memorial Trophy final at Moor Green on Saturday (ko 3pm) where they will be chasing a memorable double.

Church are missing four of their regulars with Jamie McWilliams, Adam Ryder, and Liam O'Shea cup-tied and Ross Knight on holiday.