Report by Rob Iles @robsportstwit Gloucester Citizen
A young Forest Green side were taught a brutal lesson by an impressive Evesham United as they were thrashed in their first pre-season friendly.
Lance Smith scored a first-half brace and goals from new signing Paul Fahy and Adam Mann gave the Southern League Division One South and West outfit a memorable win to provide their fans with plenty of encouragement ahead of the new campaign.
Although many players who would be expected to line up in Forest Green’s National League opener at Boreham Wood were not involved, the game offered a fascinating insight into how new manager Mark Cooper wants his Forest Green side to play.
Evesham took the lead inside just four minutes as Jacob Sloggett played a good ball down the line to Adam Mann, who fed Lance Smith inside the box to far beyond Matt Hall’s outstretched left hand and into the net.
The home side doubled their lead on 32 minutes after Jamie Calvin pulled back Adam Mann inside the box to concede a penalty, leaving Smith to blast the spot kick home with Hall diving the wrong way.
The closest Rovers came in the first half was from a well-worked corner from Mohamed Chemlal finding Jack Watts on the edge of the box. His shot was saved low down by Kevin Sawyer diving to his right and as the ball bounced up Blake Davies could only head against the bar on the follow-up.
Fahy spent the first half on the right of midfield but was moved up front in the second half and took just three minutes to make his mark, latching onto a ball through the middle and coolly sliding the ball past Hall.
Acadamy player Giancarlo Gabbiadini almost made an immediate impact when his header was cleared off the line by Ben Prictor from Liam Noble’s corner.
Rovers hit the bar for a second time from Noble’s deflected shot after Olly Mehew laid the ball and Matt Sysum made a heroic block to deny Tom Anderson.
Evesham made it four when the ball was played over the top for Adam Mann to run onto and, although Hall got both hands on his powerful shot, it was too hot to handle and it rolled behind and into the net.
Evesham United (first half) (4-4-2): K Sawyer ; L Dovey, L Harding, C Green; P Fahy, N Stanley, L Sheehan, J Sloggett (E Kennedy 30); L Smith, A Mann.
Evesham United (second half): K Sawyer; L Dovey, M Sysum, W Wellon, B Prictor; E Kennedy, J Turley, A Williams, C Brown; A Mann, P Fahy. Subs used: S Gilder, S Lucas, L Binns, S Pearson.
Forest Green (3-5-2): M Hall; L Odiero , J Moran (c), J Calvin; J Watts, L McGrory, W Elliott, J Stokes, M Chemlal; O Mehew, B Davies.
Subs used: W Davidson, T Anderson K Marsh, I Jones, S Snaith, A Hallet, J Holmes, G Gabbiadini, L Noble.
Referee: D Wooton.
Attendance: 203
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