Evesham remain unbeaten at home in the Evo-Stik Southern South & West Division but had to settle for a frustrating goalless draw against lowly AFC Totton at the Jubilee Stadium. United who had debutant Leroy Odiero sent-off fifteen minutes from time, dominated possession but sadly lacked a cutting-edge in front of goal enabling the visitors from Hampshire to escape with an unlikely point.
Boss Paul Collicutt shuffled the pack after United`s dismal FA Cup defeat at Barwell, making five changes to the starting line-up and gave Odiero his first appearance after signing on a dual registration from Gloucester City.
United set the tone from the start with Lance Smith, Odiero and Sam Pearson all testing Stag`s goalkeeper Steve Mowthorpe early on. A bursting run by Paul Fahy ended with Pearson firing wide and then Lorcan Sheehan hooked a shot over before Odiero had the ball in the net but his effort was disallowed for a foul on Mowthorpe. In a rare Totton attack, Kevin Sawyer got down well to save from Dan Munday but in the closing stages of the half, Fahy was guilty of a glaring miss at the back post when he blazed wide from only two yards out.
It was more of the same after half-time with United doing all the pressing but unable to make the vital breakthrough. Pearson directed an overhead kick into the arms of Mowthorpe and the hardworking Fahy shot over and glanced a header wide. Sawyer was called upon to make a decent save from Nick Watts but any momentum United had was checked by the sending off of Odiero in the 75th minute with his second yellow card for a soft challenge on Liam Hibberd.
The dismissal prompted Totton to come out of their shell and in injury-time the United fans breathed a sigh of relief when Nathan Sherborne broke away and smacked a shot against a post before having the danger cleared by the United defence. In the end the spoils were shared leaving United languishing in 13th place and twelve points adrift of league leaders Hereford.
UNITED:
Sawyer, Dovey, Odiero, Turley, Harding, B.Williams, Bryan (Jeanne 78), Sheehan, Smith (Magee 61), Pearson (Mann 69), Fahy
Subs not used: A.Williams, Kennedy
Referee: Mr S.Postin (Coventry)
Attendance: 199
Photos here by Stuart Purfield
