JAMES Fry feels Alvechurch are ‘not getting the rub of the green’ after several key decisions went against his side in their 3-2 defeat at Stratford Town.
Church led through Nick Clayton-Phillips’ first-half goal before the same player equalised with a stunning free-kick in the second period at the Arden Garages Stadium.
However, Church boss Fry felt the home side’s first goal should have been ruled out for offside and believes Stratford were fortunate not to be reduced to 10-men in the second half.
Fry said: “We’re just not getting the rub of the green, Stratford’s first goal, I’m bang in line with it, it’s offside and goals change games.
“With the momentum, we conceded two goals, we have to get better at that, I’m not hiding away from the fact we have to defend better in certain areas.
“Before their first goal there was no momentum for them in the game, we had them at arm’s length.
“Even in the second half, Cass [Ben Cassidy] goes through and I’m absolutely gobsmacked it’s not a red card, I can’t understand how it’s a yellow card when the defender is the last man.
“There’s plenty of decisions that are going against us, I need to make sure we’re dealing with what we can control and keep believing that those decisions are going to flip for us.”
Church took the lead on 28 minutes when Clayton-Phillips intercepted a weak back pass before rounding Liam O’Brien and finishing from a tight angle.
However, the Bards equalised on 36 minutes, despite suspicions of offside, as Ebanks latched onto a long pass before taking the ball around Brad Foster and firing into the top left corner.
And Stratford completed the turnaround in first-half injury time as Jack Storer’s first time effort from 20-yards out beat Foster in the Church goal.
The home side were fortunate not to lose Chris Hussey to a red card just past the hour mark after he brought down Ben Cassidy with the Alvechurch man bearing down on the Bards goal.
However, the referee opted to book Hussey only for Clayton-Phillips to score a sensational equaliser from the resulting free-kick, curling the ball into the bottom left corner from 30-yards out.
The Bards clinched the points with three minutes left to play as substitute Charlie Williams stepped inside of his marker before firing home from 25-yards out.
After going seven league games without a win, Alvechurch have dropped into the Southern League Premier Central relegation zone, two points from safety with a game in-hand on the teams above them.
Alvechurch are next in action at home to Needham Market on Saturday, December 23 with kick-off at 3pm at Lye Meadow.
