A CRUNCH local derby between Bromsgrove Sporting and Alvechurch this weekend could have huge ramifications at the bottom of the Southern League Premier Central table.
Sporting made a losing start under new boss Scott Adey-Linforth as the Rouslers slipped to a 1-0 defeat away at AFC Sudbury after conceding in injury time at the MEL Group Stadium.
Alvechurch then beat Highgate United 3-0 in the Birmingham Senior Cup in midweek.
Flowers kept Sporting in the division last season before the Rouslers replaced the now Church boss with Paul Smith in the summer.
Smith resigned from his role at the Victoria Ground earlier this month while Flowers recently stepped away from his job at Redditch United to become Alvechurch boss in a surprise move.
Church head into the fixture two points above the relegation zone while Sporting are five points from safety.
And Flowers insists Alvechurch need to be at their best to claim the derby spoils this weekend.
Flowers said: “I believe what we’ve got in this dressing room shouldn’t be loitering around where they are, they have to take a lot of responsibility for that and they’ll take responsibility for getting us higher up the division.
“I want to see an immense and intense work ethic which they’ve shown in the two games so far, it’ll be a very tough game.
“Bromsgrove have massively improved in the last couple of weeks, they were very unlucky at Sudbury.
“I’m under no illusions, we’re going to have to be absolutely at our best to get anything at all.”
A header from defender Archie Crowther ensured Flowers started his reign as Alvechurch boss with a victory against Bedford before goals from Sam Perry, Ammar Dyer and Jaelon West sealed a comfortable win in the Birmingham Senior Cup at Highgate in midweek.
New Sporting boss Adey-Linforth is awaiting his first win since taking charge of the Rouslers on a permanent basis.
Oliver Peters scored a contentious winner in injury time to deny the Bromsgrove boss a point in his first game at the helm.
And Adey-Linforth wants to ‘grab the opportunity’ of becoming Sporting boss with both hands despite suffering a setback at Sudbury last time out.
Adey-Linforth said: “I’ve loved it [becoming first team manager], that’s the first sucker punch I’ve had, I don’t want too many of them.
“I’m excited, I’m going to grab the opportunity with both hands and work as hard as I can to get this club back up the league.
“Performance wise it was very pleasing, we’ve just got to make sure we take those levels into the coming games.”
Bromsgrove Sporting host Alvechurch on Saturday, November 30 with kick-off at 3pm at the Victoria Ground.
