Evesham continued their impressive build-up to the new season with an encouraging 1-1  with League Two Cheltenham Town.  In front of United’s biggest pre-season crowd, manager Matt Clarke will take more postive’s from his new-look sides performance ahead of the League opener with Sholing on 18th August.

Cheltenham who paraded a different eleven in each half enjoyed all the early possession without testing Dean Coleman in the Evesham goal.  That was until the 20th minute when the former Worcester City stopper was at full stretch to save from Sam Deering at the foot of his post.  The lively Roland Agbor created Evesham’s best chance of the half setting up skipper Henry Eze who headed just over.

Coleman made two exceptional saves to keep out efforts from Kaid Mohamed and Daryl Duffy at the start of the second half but it was Evesham who shocked the league outfit by taking a 51st minute lead.  Agbor got the better of Keith Lowe down the left and from his cross Town defender Colin Hamilton headed into his own net.  Coleman was again in the thick of the the action making a brilliant double-save to deny Duffy and Jenny Goulding, before Evesham were awarded a penalty at the other end on 68 minutes.  Town keeper Phil Smith, however, saved Luke Corbett’s spot-kick after Lowe had pulled down Marcus Palmer in the box.  Any hopes of victory disappeared eleven minutes from time when Tris Plummer shot across substitute keeper Nick Thomas into the far corner to earn Mark Yates’ men a share of the spoils.

Evesham United: Coleman (Thomas 60); Wood, Masutto (Osborne 46), Robinson, Eze, Gierdl (MacKenzie 51), Downing, Hicks, Corbett (Gierdl 81), Tulloch (Palmer 51), Agbor

Att: 657.

Referee: Mr K Morris (Hereford)