Runaway leaders and title favourites Merthyr Town ended Evesham`s impressive twelve- match unbeaten run in the Evo-Stik Southern South & West Division with a hard fought victory in blustery conditions at the Spiers & Hartwell Jubilee Stadium. The game between two of the league`s in-form teams was decided by Corey Jenkins` first half goal and sentenced Evesham to their first league defeat since 15th November.
United were forced to make changes to their relatively settled starting line-up, in came goalkeeper Conor Thompson from Chippenham
Town for ever-present Kevin Sawyer, who was beginning a two-match ban. Jared Wilson made his first start since before Christmas replacing the injured Liam Harding and striker Adam Mann started his first game after agreeing a permanent move from Gloucester City to stay with the Robins until the end of the 2015/16 season. Former Hereford United players Ryan Green and Gavin Williams were both named in the Martyr`s starting eleven.
Washbourne: Went close
Evesham who are the only side to win in the league at Merthyr`s Cigg-E Stadium this season, started the brighter and with a strong wind behind them took the game to the table-toppers from the kick-off. A succession of corners proved fruitless, Sean Wood`s flighted free-kick flew just over and then the tricky George Washbourne brought the best out of visiting keeper Tom Bradley, who acrobatically touched over the winger`s drive. In their first real threat on goal and against the run of play, Merthyr scored the game`s only goal when Jenkins swept-in Ian Traylor`s low cross past Thompson with 24 minutes on the clock. Cheered on by their biggest league crowd of the season, Evesham
continued on the front foot but failed to find an equaliser before half-time.
The second half contained a couple of bust-ups between both sets of players as tempers became frayed but it was United who continued to play the more positive football. Ashley Edenborough and substitute Ollie Knowles both went close for Paul Collicutt`s men, while at the opposite end, Thompson bent backwards to brilliantly save from the dangerous Kerry Morgan. The game exploded again five minutes from time, when Merthyr`s Kyle Patten was sent-off but despite some late United pressure, Merthyr hung on by the skin of their teeth to end United`s red-hot run of form.
EVESHAM UNITED:
Thompson, Wood (Knowles 72), Wellon, Wilson (Brown 81), Sysum, Dovey, Jackson, Stanley, Edenborough, Mann, Washbourne (Smith 67).
SUBS NOT USED: Slack and Kennedy
REFEREE: Mr D.Wilding (Worcester)
ATTENDANCE: 437
Photos here by Stuart Purfield
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