Evesham extended their unbeaten run to four games with their best performance of the season to see off Yate Town, who themselves arrived at the Jubilee Stadium with three straight wins in the Evo-Stik Southern South & West Division.
Harding bagged rare goal
It was an attacking masterclass especially in the first-half by the Robins who ran their Bristol based visitors ragged with a brand of sublime one touch football and movement off the ball. United showed their intentions from the start with Jordan Bryan having his shot cleared off the line by Town defender Mayson Evans after just two minutes. But it wasn`t long before Bryan found Lance Smith down the right and his ball across the face of goal was coolly slotted home by Adam Mann for 1-0 on 7 minutes. The Yate defence cracked again in the 19th minute when Joe Turley`s deflected shot came back off the crossbar to the unmarked Smith who headed in his 7th goal of the season. United continued to dominate the passage of play with Mann on a couple of occasions unable to convert at the back post and Smith who is subject of an approach from Northern Premier League side Hednesford Town, forcing Jonathon Brown to make two outstanding saves. More United pressure saw a third goal arrive in the 35th minute courtesy of Liam Harding`s thunderbolt header from Lorcan Sheehan`s pin-point corner. Before the break further efforts from Smith, Turley and Mann were within a whisker of finding the target.
As so often happens after such a one-sided first-half, the second period was somewhat of an anti-climax but nevertheless opportunities continued to fall United`s way. Smith rounded Brown only to have his effort blocked by Kye Thomas and both Mann and Ashley Williams directed headers just over when well placed. Substitute Elliot Kennedy replaced the impressive Bryan and went close to getting on the scoresheet dragging two efforts wide after darting runs down the left. But any hopes United had of keeping a fourth clean sheet in a row were dashed in bizarre circumstances in time added on. A linesman flagged for offside as the ball was played through and as the United defence stopped expecting to hear the whistle, substitute Luke Bryan nipped in to score an unexpected consolation goal for the visitors.
A delighted United manager Paul Collicutt said after the game, ” The first 45 minutes were the best I`ve witnessed since taking over as manager. The tempo was excellent and some of the football we played was breathtaking. “Every player was on top of their game and the only downside for me was to concede a goal in stoppage-time and end our run of clean sheets.
UNITED:
Sawyer, Dovey, Stanley (Binns 16), Turley, Harding, A.Williams, Bryan (Kennedy 71), Sheehan, Mann, Smith (Magee 71), Fahy.
Subs not used: Gilder, B.Williams
Referee: Mr R.Price (Birmingham)
Attendance: 250
Pictures by Stuart Purfield
