Pershore Town 1 Alvechurch 3

A BECKHAM-ESQUE free kick from Alvechurch veteran Ross Knight four minutes from time finally eased fraying nerves at Pershore as the Churchmen ground out another nailbiting win in what is fast becoming a stumble to the finish.

Andy Hibbert's side left it until exactly the same point at Lye Meadow at the weekend before the visiting keeper threw the ball into the net for them and last night's 3-1 scoreline flattered the Churchmen - but the fans won't care.

Life is never easy for the Church faithful who had looked on as their side earned a two goal lead and saw Pershore down to ten men only to concede a soft goal and endure a nervy 20 minutes.

But the visitors - forced to cede home advantage after frantic work to get Lye Meadow up to Alliance standards meant the original match was postponed - did the job, digging in for another vital three points after a dreadful first half.

Both sides were hampered by a cabbage patch of a pitch and there was little football played as stubborn Pershore worked hard in a bid to halt a disastrous post Christmas run.

Keith Rostill sent a dipping effort just over and Liam O'Shea broke clear only to run down a cul-de-sac before Church 'keeper Mark Sanders made the first of a number of crucial stops.

Sanders has come in for criticism this season but was on form when it mattered with saves easily as important as the three Church goals.

The visiting shot-stopper was in the right place to gather Simon Judge's bending free kick in the 37th minute and was off his line smartly to smother at the feet of Adam Ward minutes later.

Tommy Poston cut in and sent a shot skidding wide of the far post on the verge of half time and the breakthrough came seconds after the interval when O'Shea roared past the right back onto a Keith Rostill pass to send a screamer past Pershore keeper Barry McLean.

Within a minute it should have been all square with a surprised Kristian Wood screwing his effort off target from close range after Jason Rostill missed a defensive header and in the 54th minute Wood rose above a static defence but his header, from a corner, was clutched by Sanders.

In between, Pershore's Adam Simpson was harshly red carded for foul and abusive language.

And it should have been game over when Poston ran onto a Ross Knight ball down the right channel before neatly side-stepping Christopher Jew on the byline and squaring to Rostill.

The big striker never misses from ten yards and rammed the ball home in the 55th minute.

It was only Sanders' reflexes which saved the Church ten minutes later when the keeper reacted brilliantly to tip away Judge's powerful downward header but he was only delaying the inevitable and within seconds a harmless-looking ball went straight through the Alvechurch rearguard for Wood to convert the simplest of chances.

Alvechurch have been as guilty as any of the top dogs when it comes to throwing away the chance to take the title initiative but Knight put a fitful performance behind him when he sent an inch-perfect free kick around a four man wall and into the top corner to send the visiting fans delirious.