Robins Sink the Fleet
Although not firing on all cylinders, Evesham did enough to overcome struggling Fleet Town with a goal in each half to move within two points of second place Taunton Town in the Evo-Stik Southern South & West Division. In a dour but comfortable win at a blustery Jubilee Stadium striker Adam Mann took his goal tally into double figures with United`s opener and it was left to substitute Kevin Slack to seal the Robin`s win with a second goal one minute from time. As far as Evesham were concerned, it was a case of getting the job done with a win rather than the performance at this stage of the campaign as Paul Collicutt`s men huffed and puffed to put away a poor Fleet side who hadn`t won an away league game all season.
Adam Mann scored his tenth of season
Despite kicking against a strong wind in the first half, United were always in control but were let down by some wayward finishing. In the first minute visiting keeper Ryan Price was left clutching thin air as Carl Brown volleyed just wide and the Price denied Brown with an outstretched leg after the United midfielder had wriggled free inside the box. George Washbourne then fired across the face of goal with no colleague on hand at the back post before the deadlock was eventually broken in the 29th minute. Ashley Edenborough did the donkey work with his persistence down the left before finding Mann in the six yard box who coolly found the roof of the net. The rest of the first half action saw Edenborough blaze over when well placed and Price make a smart save to hold Jared Wilson`s snap-shot.
With the wind behind them, United dominated possession and spent much of the second period in the Fleet half but some dogged defending by the Blues and a series of near misses saw Evesham fail to kill the game off. Price saved a couple of Washbourne efforts and held strikes by Brown, Edenborough and Mann, and when the stopper was beaten, Liam Harding smashed a shot against the crossbar and over.
In a rare Fleet attack, Kevin Sawyer had to be alert at the other end pushing aside Craig Davis` free-kick that was heading for the bottom corner before United finally made the game safe with a priceless second goal in the last minute. Following a foul on the right, Mann worked his way into the box before unselfishly picking out the unmarked Slack who swept in a tidy finish beyond the diving Price to clinch a 9th league win for the Robins in front of the home faithful.
EVESHAM UNITED: Sawyer, Brown (Wood 65), Stanley, Harding, Sysum, Dovey, Washbourne, Wilson (Slack 78), Edenborough (Lance Smith 78), Mann, Lee Smith.
Attendance: 248
Pictures by Stuart Purfield here http://www.stuartpurfield.co.uk/evesham_united_v_fleet_town
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