Cirencester shrugged off the disappointment of being the first team relegated from the Premier Division to heap more misery on an Evesham side who have now gone eight games without a win and staring relegation in the face. The Centurians began the games eleven points adrift at the foot of the table but shocked Matt Clarke’s side by racing into a two-goal lead at half-time. First Scott Griffin capitalised on a square lookig back four to lift the ball in over the advancing Dan Platt and then Aiden Bennett headed in at the back post after the United defence failed to deal with Wayne Turk’s free-kick.
Cirencester lost goalkeeper Mike Hedges at the interval with a knee injury handing the gloves to sub striker Jody Beavan. Evesham were handed a lifeline three minutes after the re-start when Lewis Tasker beat Bevan with a fiercely struck drive. Five minutes later the scores were level thanks to Craig Wilding’s header from Tasker’s corner. But it was Cirencester who grabbed the deciding goal on the hour mark. Griffin was fouled outside the box and Turk stepped up to find the bottom corner from the resulting free-kick. Evesham threw bodies forward in search of an equaliser but were caught on the break in stoppage time. John Else was tripped in the box by Wayne Daniel but Platt made a superb save from Else’s penalty kick. United’s task wan’t helped with the dismissal of Neil Mackenzie with the scores at 2-2 for retailliation after clashing with Turk and playing out the final 41 minutes with ten men.
Evesham: Platt, Wilson, Tasker, Clarke, Eze (Pugh 45), Daniel, Winter (Ardallany 57), Murphy, Mackenzie, Wilding, Griffin (Agbor 63). Subs not used: Connor, Wood.
Attendance: 83.
