ALVECHURCH are faced with the prospect of playing on Friday nights in a bid to catch up on a nightmare fixture backlog which worsened at the weekend with another washout.

The visit of Highgate was postponed with Church manager Mick Preece describing the Lye Meadow pitch as 'a sea of mud.'

And Preece could see no prospect of the problem easing.

"The Stourbridge match at the start of February killed the pitch," said Preece.

"We played last Tuesday on an awful pitch and I could not believe it when Kings Heath played Feckenham on it the next evening."

The Lye Meadow landlords have 13 home matches left to stage this season as well as at least three home cup ties.

And with tenants Kings Heath also falling behind, Alvechurch are considering playing on Friday nights with the Kingsmen playing on Saturdays.

The Midland Combination season has already been extended until Saturday, May 19 and Preece said playing after that would mean the pitch would not be ready for the following campaign.

The players were prevented from putting sand on the pitch on Monday by another deluge and groundstaff had to admit defeat in the attempt to stage a Challenge Cup tie at home to Romulus last night (Tuesday).

The winners will earn a home quarter final against Division One side Burntwood Town with a home semi against league leaders Nuneaton Griff to follow.

But Preece is without striker Brett Skinner, who is cup-tied after playing for Feckenham earlier in the competition.

Skinner will return to the starting lineup when Church visit Massey Ferguson in the league on Saturday (ko 2.45pm).

And Preece's men face another huge cup tie next Tuesday when they entertain Banks's Premier outfit Malvern Town in the Worcestershire Senior Urn semi final (ko 7.30pm).