ALVECHURCH boss Ian Long has implored his defenders to stop leaking silly goals as his side slipped up against Evo Stik South top of the table side Basford United and Stocksbridge Park Steels this week.

The Church suffered a 2-1 beating at home by Basford and then had to twice battle back from behind to claim a 2-2 draw at Stocksbridge.

Long warned: "To get one point out of six isn't good enough but that's what happens if you keep giving away sloppy goals.

"It's just not like us, usually we're very mean defensively but at the moment we've started to leak goals.

"It might be a case that we have to shake things up for the midweek trip to Loughborough and then Saturday's FA Cup game at Grantham.

"We will be massive underdogs for that game as Grantham are flying high in the Premier Division. But it will be a great game to test ourselves and see how far we have come."

Long has brought striker Nathan Waite back to Lye Meadow.

Waite previously played for Long at Tividale and did have a short spell at Alvechurch when Long first took charge.

Long said: "Nathan didn't feature a great deal when he had a brief spell with us, but to be honest, it's to the defence that I'm looking at."

Church were soon trailing to a couple of early Liam Heard goals against Basford before Tom Tonks clawed one back for Church from the penalty sport.

Goals from Danny Dubidat and a last minute strike from Josh March snatched a point for Church at Stocksbridge after Joe Lumsden and Matthew Reay had twice put the Yorkshire side ahead.

Long admitted: "While we deserved to get something against Basford, we never got out of second gear against Stocksbridge and looked tired, as though the Basford game had taken too much out of us."