Leamington 3 Alvechurch 1

THE visitors had only themselves to blame for this most costly of defeats despite - amazingly for a top versus second clash - the match official hailing from Whitnash, barely two miles down the road.

The damage was entirely self-inflicted with Church throwing away the lead by gift-wrapping two goals for the hosts who gleefully went four points clear at the top with only six to play.

Church joint managers Andy Hibbert and Neil Bryan insisted this game would not be the title decider but with the visitors facing Rugby twice in the run-in the chances of Alliance football next season are fast receding.

It could all have been so different after Church got off to whirlwind start which rocked the hosts and saw Adam Ryder put the second placed side ahead after just four minutes.

The goal was created by striker Liam O'Shea who tormented Jonny Burgess before drawing keeper James Gettings into no-man's-land with his driven cross.

O'Shea had already sent in a dangerous centre within seconds of kick-off but ultimately it was the shaven-headed forward's profligacy which cost Church the game.

In the seventh minute, he ran onto a delightful Keith Rostill through-ball but dragged his shot agonisingly wide with only Gettings to beat.

And Church could, and should, have been three up in the 27th minute when Rostill again provided the flick-on for O'Shea to outpace home debutant Jamie Ball only to hesitate, allowing Gettings to claw the ball off his feet in the area.

When Leamington enjoyed a rare foray down the right, Church skipper Paul Smith was turned by Brian Agar on the right hand side of the area.

The striker was heading towards goal but from a tight angle and needed no encouragement to hit the deck and Paul Nicholls rifled home a confident penalty in the 31st minute.

Worse was to follow.

Four minutes later Church keeper Mark Sanders collected a ball under pressure and inexplicably decided to bowl it out to an unaware Ryder.

The ball never carried that far as Steve Thompson - unable to believe his luck - had time to control and shoot across Sanders into the right hand side of the goal.

Sanders crumpled and received five minutes of treatment before carrying on begging the question why didn't he hang onto the ball?

Smith made partial amends with a goal-saving tackle after the interval but The Brakes, cheered on by a 600-strong crowd, were not to be denied and wrapped up the points when Nick Mort flicked home a Thompson corner at the near post in the 59th minute.

Alvechurch huffed and puffed in vain and have surely failed the title test.