- Alvechurch are 16th in the Southern League Premier Division Central table with 32 points from 29 games.
- Stourbridge FC are 19th in the table with 30 points from 31 matches.
Mid-table battle to have a tight feel to it
Alvechurch and Stourbridge FC are closely matched sides in the Southern League Premier Division Central that will do battle on Tuesday in a game that could help decide their future.
The home side sit 16th in the 24-team division with 32 points from 29 contests and Stourbridge are 19th with 30 from 31 games. Both clubs hover just above the relegation places at present and will be desperate for points in a local derby where the contrasting styles of the two sides will add some spice to the occasion.
Alvechurch like to play possession-based football at the right times but can also mix it up with some good counter-attacking play and a willingness to get the ball wide or deliver from set pieces. Ian Long has had some success with this approach, but his side have been very inconsistent this term.
Stourbridge have been more of a counter-attacking unit with Darryl Knights’ high-energy, high-pressing style adding some bite to his forward line. Stourbridge have been less vulnerable to the counter-attack than most teams because they press high up the pitch and keep the pressure on, even when they have the ball in wide areas.
Goal-laden encounters the norm for both sides
Stourbridge won 1-0 when these two last met in this league just under a year ago and now have two more wins than their opponents in the three head-to-heads since then. There have been no draws in that sequence and this one looks very close to the point that the draw looks slightly overpriced at 121/50.
Alvechurch are the marginal favourites at 26/25 and we will take them at that price given Stourbridge’s abysmal away record and home advantage, but this has all the makings of a close game with goals at both ends likely. Stourbridge have failed to win their last two away games, picking up one draw and one defeat, while Alvechurch have failed to win their last three at home, drawing one and losing two.
Over 2.5 goals is favoured at 73/100 because both teams have leaky defences and Alvechurch’s recent home form has been shaky. Stourbridge, meanwhile, have conceded an average of 2.2 goals per away game.
Guinan can get on the scoresheet for hosts
Zac Guinan has scored three of Alvechurch’s last eight Southern League goals and is the main man up front for the West Midlands club, while Will Etheridge has scored two of the Glassboys’ last four league goals and is their best hope of scoring.
Stourbridge’s form is slightly better than Alvechurch’s coming into this one - one win, two draws and two defeats in their last five compared to one, one and three for the hosts - so it would be foolish to back either with any great enthusiasm.
Alvechurch lost 3-4 at home to Real Bedford, but that was followed by a 1-1 draw with Needham Market. Stourbridge have had a similar up-and-down form recently, beating Real Bedford 2-1 at home but following that up with a 1-1 draw at Kettering Town.
