ALVECHURCH boss Ian Long spoke of the pride he has in his players after they beat Stourbridge to book a place in the Southern League Central play-off final.

Stour had taken the lead with a disputed Greg Mills penalty at the end of the first half but second half strikes from sub Andre Landell and forward James Roberts gave Church the victory.

They will now go to King’s Lynn for the final on Monday.

Long said: “I’m immensely proud, the dream keeps going.

“The lads have dug in deep. It wasn’t pretty again today but it’s absolutely superb, especially when right on the stroke of half time we feel there was an injustice with the penalty. We’ve looked at the video and you can see it’s the keeper’s hand.

“The lads have come in (at half time) and they’re distraught because it’s not a penalty.

“But we created the better chances in the first half and I told them to just keep passing the ball and chances will come, and that’s what has happened.

“I thought Andre Landell was superb when he came on and really changed the game in our favour.

“Everyone one of them was superb. There are a few walking wounded, as you’d expect after a game like this with all the emotion and everything that’s gone on with the swapping and changing.

“You have to give credit to Stourbridge. They’ve come down here and played the game here to give both of us the best change really because I think if the game would have been Monday and the final Wednesday it would have been really difficult.

“It’s still going to be difficult for us now going to King’s Lynn but I just can’t praise the players enough. They have been absolutely superb.”