Evesham`s eight-match unbeaten run in the Evo-Stik Southern South & West Division came to an end in controversial circumstances at the Denplan City Ground. Poor officiating and inept finishing handed an ordinary Winchester side victory in a game that United should have put to bed well before half-time. The contest changed dramatically in Winchester`s favour on 65 minutes,when Charlie Smeeton`s scuffed shot was adjudged offside by an assistant`s flag but after a bombardment of protests by Winchester, referee Mr Williams to United`s horror, overuled his assistants decision and allowed the goal to stand. This knocked the stuffing out of United and although leading scorer
Adam Mann scored late on, Winchester held on to gain revenge for a 1-0 defeat at the Jubilee Stadium earlier in the season. To complete a miserable afternoon for the Red and Whites, United finished the game with ten-men after Clayton Green was shown a straight red card for retaliation on Leigh Mills in stoppage-time.
United boss Paul Collicutt said afterwards, ” We gave away a sloppy goal early doors but after that we bossed the game and created enough chances to have won comfortably. We didn`t take them and their keeper also made some important saves. I thought the officials had a bad day and unfortunately all the big decisions went against us.”
A player shortage again hampered United`s preparations with Jared Wilson, Nick Stanley, Ashley Williams and Liam Harding unavailable, and so Reserve Team leading-scorer James Taylor was called-up and named on the substitutes bench. On the back of last week`s excellent win over league leaders Cinderford Town, the Robins` made the worst possible start allowing Adam Tomasso to fire the Citizens ahead with just three minutes on the clock. United put the early setback behind them and went on to dominate the rest of the first half but missed a catalogue of chances and found Citykeepe r Brendon Norris in sparkling form. Striker Lance Smith was guilty of missing two one-on-ones with Norris and then the Winchester stopper was at full stretch to brilliantly keep out Mann and the hardworking Carl Brown. More opportunities went begging with the fragile Winchester defence unable to handle the pace and movement of Smith and Mann but somehow held out until half-time hanging desperately onto Tomasso`s early strike.
Green sent off in stoppage time
Smith grazed the crossbar soon after the re-start but then Smeeton struck to make it 2-0 triggering heated protests by United for the goal to be disallowed, that unsurprisingly they fell on deaf ears. United continued to press and thanks to Mann`s 11th of the season, pulled a goal back for 2-1 with three minutes left. Green then got his marching orders before Smith in the last action of the game should have levelled, but pulled his shot wide of the targetwith only Norris to beat.
EVESHAM UNITED: Sawyer, Wood, Dovey, Green, Sysum, Wellon, Modest (Sloggett 47), Brown, Mann, Smith, Binns (Taylor 83).
Referee: Mr A.Williams (Middlesex)
Attendance: 163
0 Comments