KYLE Storer admits Alvechurch ‘shot themselves in the foot’ after conceding an injury-time equaliser against Leiston.
Jenson Kilroy’s penalty save at the death looked to have preserved the points for the visitors in a thriller at Victory Road.
However, Leiston struck from the resulting corner to level the game and leave Church winless in their last four matches.
The result leaves Alvechurch hovering above the Southern League Premier Central relegation zone, albeit with games in hand on the teams below them.
And Storer felt Church allowed Leiston back into the game after making a blistering start which saw the visitors score two goals in the opening 13 minutes.
Storer said: “We’re hurting a little bit. It’s a tough one to take right at the death.
“It was a weird game. We made an unbelievable start to the game, it was fantastic.
“We looked like we were going to score every time we went forward which is something we’ve been craving for.
“Then we took our foot off the gas and started losing the basics and fundamentals of football.
“It was about showing grit and determination in the second half but we rolled our sleeves up.
“The charade that happened with a minute to go from the officials – he’s the only person in the whole ground that has seen a penalty.
“No one is claiming [for a penalty]. We get out of jail and save the penalty but we shoot ourselves in the foot.”
Church broke the deadlock after just seven minutes when Tope Obadeyi headed in a cross from the left at the back post from close range.
And Obadeyi struck again six minutes later with Leiston goalkeeper Billy Johnson only able to parry an initial shot into the path of the forward who drilled the loose ball into the bottom right corner.
However, Leiston halved the deficit on 27 minutes when Ronnie Blois fired a low effort across goal and into the net via the aid of the post from 15-yards out.
And the home side equalised seven minutes later as Ben Fowkes scored from the penalty spot after Kilroy wiped out a Leiston player in the box.
Church reclaimed the lead on 84 minutes when Joe Willis lashed a shot into the roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area after his initial free-kick struck the wall.
However, the home side conceded a second penalty deep into injury time following a long throw into the box from the right.
Alvechurch keeper Kilroy atoned for his earlier error as he sprung low down to his right to deny Fowkes from the spot.
However, Leiston equalised from the resulting set piece as Bois forced the ball home from close range at the near post.
