Evesham`s hectic pre-season schedule continued on Friday night when a mixture of youngsters and trialists saw the Robins held to a 1-1 draw by neighbours Pershore Town at the King George V Playing Fields. After four warm-up games in seven days, manager Paul Collicutt
rested key players enabling a number to stake their claim for a starting place in United`s South & West opener at Fleet Town on Saturday 9th August.
United made a bright and breezy start with Lance Smith and Ben Evans both testing keeper Paul Maynard and then the experienced Kevin Slack somehow blazed his shot wide of an open goal after being set-up by Elliot Kennedy. Town striker Phil Marsh had his free-kick charged down at the other end before Smith fired the Robins ahead on 33 minutes. The versatile Aaron Drake found Slack down the left and from the winger`s cross Smith arrived at the back post for a simple tap-in. During the latter stages of the half, Slack was guilty of another glaring miss this time after Maynard had saved well from Smith.
HALF-TIME: Pershore Town (0) Evesham United (1)
Despite Kennedy, Michael Tambling and skipper Matt Sysum all going close for Evesham at the start of the second-half, it was Pershore who found the net to draw level in the 55th minute. Dane Aldington`s throughball enabled Grant Baker to round reserve stopper Josh Goddard before rolling the ball into an empty net. Moments later, Baker went close to adding a second for the hosts when his near post header flew just over. Smith then got himself into a couple of good positions but was foiled by the brave Maynard who spread himself well to keep the
scores level. Evesham went on to finish the game strongly but couldn`t find a way past Maynard for a deserved winner. Drake smacked a tremendous drive against the woodwork with Maynard beaten and then in stoppage-time the Pershore gloveman gathered confidently from Slack and then held substitute Will Wellon`s glancing header beneath his crossbar.
EVESHAM UNITED:
Goddard, Jackson, Drake, Harding (Sauntson 60), Sysum (Hughes 64), Dovey, Tambling (Baldwin 76), Evans (Wellon 51), Smith, Kennedy
(Watts 67), Slack.
Sub not used: Saunders
REFEREE: Mr N.Radford (Worcester)
ATTENDANCE: 73
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