Stockport Town 0 Alport 1
 
A familiar face returned to the fold for Alport at Stockport and ended up the match winner as the promotion push gathered pace at a rainy Sports Village. Carl Everall had only played one game for the club since leaving to take up a full time role at League Two side Crewe Alexandra at the start of the season – and that ended up in a 1-0 reverse at Litherland Remyca. Fast forward nearly 5 months and this is an altogether different animal to the one seen at the LSP back in September. And when the ball was half cleared from a corner midway through the second half, Everall despatched a stunning volley that bounced behind the line from the underside of the crossbar. Alport could even afford the luxury of a missed penalty late on when Town stopper Dylan Forth made a magnificent save to push Joe Howell’s kick away.
 
This wasn’t the Reds finest hour – not by a long chalk. Town provided gritty opposition although Danny Read was nowhere near as active as his opposite number. Indeed, but for Forth, the margin of victory might have been greater with some excellent saves as Whitchurch applied late pressure with Town down to 10 men.
 
With twin brother Simon normally the sibling hogging the goal headlines, Carl was unfortunate to see a dipping volley turned onto the top of the bar by Forth in what turned out to be a low key first 45 minutes.
 
But in the second half both sides were guilty of spurning some decent chances. Justin Pickering fired hopelessly wide when Town worked an opening down the left and Ben Mills did well to beat a defender to tee up an opportunity, but his cross-shot was beaten out by Forth. Had there been an Alport player gambling on the seconds, the loose ball would have been a tap-in. But moments later the visitors went in front with that special moment for the man who used to share management duties with Luke Goddard. It was a superb strike and after the briefest of consultations with his linesman, the referee signalled the goal to the delight of the large away contingent.
 
Goddard has been unwell so wouldn’t have made the squad but with twin centre-backs, Ryan Thomas and Joe Minshall so assured and composed at the heart of the Reds defence, the gaffer might have to get used to a spell on the sidelines. The pair kept the shackles on target man Ben Halfacre, who has been scoring goals for fun this season for the Lions.
 
60 seconds after the goal, ex-Alport man, Lee Constantine, missed a dolly chance for Stockport after Read could only parry Reuben Abreu’s effort, but the home side wouldn’t come that close again.
 
The away fans – who made up at least half of the 140 who attended – roared on their team and when sub Herve Sezerano pulled back Mills five minutes from time, he received a second yellow and was dismissed. After a slight delay, Howell struck the ball firmly towards the corner, but Forth flung himself to his left to beat away the ball with a high, but firm right hand. It was an excellent stop but it was Alport’s third failure from the three penalties awarded them this season.
 
Arron Johns and Si Everall (twice) came close to adding to the scores but a tenth successive victory wasn’t to be denied, leaving Whitchurch breathing all the more heavier on the necks of second placed Litherland Remyca - who have seen a double points advantage whittled away to just one.