EVESHAM UNITED 2-1 STRATFORD TOWN: march report by THE MOWDOG...

More Good Friday Than Boxing Day @ Evesham…

Evesham United 2-1 Stratford Town

Despite the decent attendance of 381 (a league record at the Jubilee Stadium, I believe) and despite the fact that it was Boxing Day, and the time when thoughts turn to the pantomime season, this match lacked atmosphere, excitement, theatre and crowd participation. Until Stratford’s late push for a point, that is, and a few Town fans began to cheer a bit, probably due to the fact that their beer had reached the parts that the football hadn’t. Rain and wind blew constantly during the game, the temperature plummeted and perhaps there was too much tension in the players, for the action was often muted, with Evesham’s two strikers, Lance Smith and Adam Mann proving the exceptions, causing problems for Town with their speed. Few flurries of goalmouth action enlivened the low-key encounter but the effort by both teams could not be faulted. Two first-half breaks for goals by the hosts should have formed the base for a comfortable home win but after the interval, United lost their way considerably, thus allowing an under-achieving Stratford to find a foothold in the match and reduce the arrears with a pantomime goal. Evesham held out and Town didn’t threaten home ‘keeper Kevin Sawyer again, although nerves were frayed by the end. 

Evesham kick off v Stratford...

The sparring went on for a while in this game, with United’s Sean Wood attempting to create in midfield but the main danger on the slick, wet pitch was resulting from long balls forward by Evesham’s defenders which set Mann, in particular, off on threatening runs. Smith raced onto Carl Brown’s pass and was foiled by the advanced ‘keeper Andy Kemp, who rose from his seasonal slide to palm Mann’s ensuing cross behind for a corner, which came to nought. A low 30 yard free-kick by Nick Stanley took a deflection, which caused Kemp difficulties and the ball squirmed from him, as he fell left, allowing home skipper Matt Sysum a free shot but this was lifted over the crossbar from only 6 yards. All the lauded visitors could manage was some running by striker Tyrone Fagan, but Chris Sterling was getting no joy in attack alongside him and winger Simeon Tulloch was poorly served by his midfielders. Suddenly, however, another run on the left side by Mann led to a low, skidding centre, which Kemp slid for but was unable to hold onto and although Smith couldn’t get onto the ball, Brown could and converted easily at the far post.

Brown: 1-0...

Sterling was checked as he attempted to benefit from a weak defensive back-header by Evesham, with Sawyer well out of goal, before the goalie flapped a Tulloch corner down on his goal-line but the referee had spotted a barge by Town’s Callum Burgess. Another quick United break saw Mann ignore Smith to his left and feed Stanley on his right but the midfielder, who worked so hard in the first period, slapped a high shot well off target from 20 yards. Mann broke again though, moving onto Smith’s assist at inside-left and he fired a really good left-foot shot from 20 yards round Kemp, who dived right but was unable to prevent the ball from smacking into the net. All Stratford could muster was a low 25 yard drive by their rather strong defender Loyiso Recci, which Sawyer fell right to grab, making sure he muddied his uniform before the break. The half ended with two wayward Evesham shots, one by Stanley, which was slightly deflected, then another by Mann, whose wild left-footer was in total contrast to his really controlled play thus far.

2-0: Mann...

Mann-hugs...

The half-time break brought worse weather, with heavy rain rattling upon the grandstand’s roof and the announcer read out the winning raffle numbers, including for “…the pork…” and “…the beef…” I liked that. Evesham were deservedly ahead but only because of their quick breaks and in truth, their opponents’ disappointing first-half offering too. Stratford withdrew Burgess at the interval, replacing him with Sam Adkins and Gary Moran moved to right-back, allowing Recci to slide across to the centre of defence.

Les parapluies de Evesham...

The substitutes LOVED being out in the awful weather at half-time...

Here we go again...

Alex Price’s early shot from a left-wing corner was blocked by Evesham and that ‘blocking’ became what the home defenders did so well as the second period wore on. Sysum and Linden Dovey were powerful throughout but United did manage a shot, when Stanley passed left for the strangely quiet George Washbourne to lift way over the goal-frame. Price was then replaced by Town substitute Aaron Moses-Garvey, who certainly made an impact, looking to be creative from his introduction. He instigated one smart attack but Evesham cleared and broke away again through Smith, who used Brown and Stanley, before cutting in from the left and curling a really good shot only just wide of the right upright, with Kemp at full stretch. The referee then began to display yellow cards, the first recipient being Moran, I believe, although it was tough to see, as the official allowed each culprit to go away before raising yellow. Kemp knocked away a Stanley corner but Washbourne was only able to nod the ball low across the penalty-box then Trey Brathwaite (hope the name is correct) replaced Town’s Scott Hadland. Evesham withdrew Brown and Stanley to introduce Jared Wilson and Ollie Knowles, who so nearly scored with his first touch of the ball, fastening onto a pass from Mann and seeing his first-time drive palmed away to his right by the diving Kemp.

Brathwaite and Moses-Garvey were really looking bright for the visitors and bringing Tulloch more into the game and Evesham were thus being forced to defend. Soon, the visitors were gifted a goal to make the final section of this game more interesting. A rare defensive mix-up by the hosts, with Sawyer rushing to the edge of his penalty-box to deal with a through-pass, ended with the battling Fagan causing trouble and he managed to turn well onto the loose ball and left-boot a low shot from 19 yards into the empty net, although two home defenders did attempt to intervene. They failed.

2-1: Fagan...

Obviously, Evesham’s confidence waned somewhat, for Stratford’s motivation led to some desperate defending by the admirable Dovey and Sysum, as two or three shots were blocked, although Sawyer wasn’t troubled at all. A Tulloch corner brought a far post head-down by Joe Halsall, which dithered well wide, Brathwaite lifted an effort much too high, then Tulloch was booked for fouling Dovey from behind. It looked like someone was cautioned for hand-ball, but I might have been mistaken, before Tesfa Robinson appeared to be cautioned too, for a pull-back on the nippy Mann. The ensuing free-kick was tapped to Mann by the influential Wood but the striker’s 24 yard shot from inside-right was dragged disappointingly wide of the right upright. Lewis Binns had replaced Washbourne for Evesham and soon afterwards I believe that Moses-Garvey and United’s Will Wellon were both cautioned for a scuffle near a corner-flag, which of course brought many other players racing forth like it was Black Friday at PC World. It remained only for Halsall, I think, to receive a yellow card too and the game ended.

Kevin Sawyer looks to the hills for comfort...

There had been little pattern to the wind-spoilt game and in truth, little goalmouth action and few thrills, probably accounting for the lack of atmosphere in the cold, huddling crowd. Just to dampen the spectators in the grandstand further, a gate prevented their exits to dry cars, or the bar, awaiting the players’ decisions to return to their dressing-rooms. I sheltered in the men’s bog. Rain turned to snow as I approached Shirley and I scoffed my day-late Christmas dinner wearing a pixie’s hat. Hey, it’s what I do… 

Teams: 

Evesham United: Kevin Sawyer, Sean Wood, Will Wellon; Liam Harding, Matt Sysum (Capt), Linden Dovey; Carl Brown, Nick Stanley, Lance Smith, Adam Mann, George Washbourne.

Subs: Aaron Drake, Jared Wilson, Lewis Binns, Marcus Jackson, Ollie Knowles.

Stratford Town:  Andy Kemp, Loyiso Recci, Gary Moran (Capt); Callum Burgess, Tesfa Robinson, Scott Hadland; Simeon Tulloch, Joe Halsall, Tyrone Fagan, Chris Sterling, Alex Price. 

Subs: Aaron Moses-Garvey, Aaron Stringfellow, Sam Adkins, Trey Brathwaite, Guy Clark.