Evesham will take their place in the Evo-Stik Southern South & WestD ivision play-offs but they did it the hard way coming back from two goals down at a sun drenched Jubilee Stadium to beat relegation threatened Wantage Town.
United went into the game with the knowledge a draw would be good enough to cement a play-off spot but found themselves trailing to two Ben Whitehead goals after just 17 minutes. However, a Nick Stanley `screamer` started the comeback and further strikes by leading scorer Ashley Edenborough (twice), Adam Mann and returning captain Matt Sysum made it a comfortable win in the end for Paul Collicutt`s men.
Stanley: Scored opner
United who were looking for their eigth league double of the season to continue their remarkable run of results, looked sluggish and out-of-sorts at the start and lowly Wantage silenced another decent home crowd by surprisingly snatching the lead after just two minutes. Kevin Sawyer made contact with Whitehead in the box when attempting
to clear his lines and the Wantage striker got up to tuck away the resulting penalty for 1-0. Sawyer was then beaten for a second time when poor defending allowed Whitehead a clear run at goal and he easily beat the United number
one to give the Freds` a shock 2-0 lead. Slowly but surely, Evesham started to put their game together and Stanley pulled a goal back on 32 minutes with a fabulous rocket of a shot that flew into the top corner and the Robins` fight-back was underway. It wasn`t long before the scores were level at 2-2 courtesy of Edenborough`s close range finish after a neat build-up between Lee Smith and Will Wellon down the left. Before Edenborough`s equaliser, it didn`t look like being United`s day, when first Lance Smith struck the crossbar and then Lee Smith rattled a post in quick succession.
United began the second half with a spring in their step and took the lead for the first time on 57 minutes through the hardworking Adam Mann who followed-up to score after Town keeper Gareth Tucker had made a fine save to deny Lee Smith. From this point on there was only going to be one winner and not surprisingly a fourth United goal arrived in the 69th minute when defender Sysum hooked in his 10th goal of the season past the dispairing dive of Tucker. Confidence was now oozing from the Red and Whites at it was soon 5-2, when Edenborough got his second and final goal of the game glancing home a header from Marcus Jackson`s whipped-in free kick to the near post.
For the remainder of the contest United were camped in the Wantage half but a series of near misses and good goalkeeping by Tucker meant the final score remained at 5-2 and United`s unbeaten run now stretches to an impressive twelve games.
EVESHAM UNITED: Sawyer, Jackson, Wellon (Slack 59), Harding, Sysum, Dovey, Lance Smith, Stanley, Edenborough, Mann (Brown 80), Lee Smith (Washbourne 62).
Only three subs.
REFEREE: Mr S.Gudger (Kidderminster)
ATTENDANCE: 301
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