EVESHAM UNITED 4-0 FOREST GREEN ROVERS: FULL MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Incision the Difference, As The Robins Down The Rovers

Evesham United 4-0 Forest Green Rovers

In the opening half of this pre-season match, Evesham’s incisive forwards, Lance Smith and Adam Mann were able to threaten Rovers’ defence with their strong running, aided by quick wing breaks from Jacob Sloggett and his replacement Elliott Kennedy. Whereas, despite the neat midfield approach work by the experienced Wade Elliott for the guests, alongside Louis McGrory, little in the way of real punch was evident in the young Forest Green attack, although Olly Mehew showed glimpses of smart play. Home ‘keeper Sawyer made a couple of saves and his crossbar was nudged twice but inevitably the physical strength of the United squad remained superior to that of Rovers, who continued to pass the ball at will, even though shooting was too often a last resort. Forest Green’s left-back Mohamed Chemlal was a joy to watch at times, combining neat footwork, feints and balanced running throughout the game but in the end, a brace of goals in each half brought the guests’ downfall.    

TOSSING...

THE REFEREE WAITS FOR ROVERS TO COMPLETE THEIR LAST BOUT OF DODGING, OR PERHAPS THEY HAVE JUST NOTICED A HUGE SPIDER...

THE NEW-STYLE KICK-OFF CAPTURED...

Less first period possession was claimed by the hosts but they looked dangerous whenever Mann and Smith were running at the Rovers defence and even Elliott was forced to get back and make a couple of handy challenges for his team, whilst Jamie Calvin blocked another dangerous situation. A break brought the opening goal, set up by Mann’s persistence and finished by Smith’s low cross-shot but soon, ‘keeper Matt Hall badly misjudged a rush from goal, flooring Smith, yet receiving no more than a nod from the referee, who displayed all the kindness of a priest at a funeral. Smith’s free-kick barely troubled Hall, however. He was untroubled by a trickling Nick Stanley effort too, follow strong play by home central defender Liam Hardy, who later rose well to head a corner too high. The second goal had been a rasping penalty by Smith, who had been baulked by Calvin.

WADE ELLIOTT: GREAT FIRST TOUCH...

Forest Green had managed some neat offense but little in the way of problems for Evesham’s mountainous goalie, Kevin Sawyer, who did however get down smartly to block a low Mehew shot from an angle with his feet. Soon Hardy blocked another Mehew effort on the 18 yard line, before the visitors really ought to have snatched back a first-half goal. After both Mehew and Jack Watts’ poor touches inside the penalty-area had resulted in no shots, at 2-0 behind, a corner routine involving Elliott saw a fine 22 yard drive by Watts really well saved by the diving Sawyer but the ball popped up for Davies to head from 3 yards, only for his effort to bob onto the cross-beam. Calvin nodded Leroy Odiero’s long throw too high but the home defence, inspired by skipper Linden Dovey, survived until the interval with a minimum of fuss, in truth.

DOVEY & DAVIES TUSSLE...

DAVIES ATTACKS, HARDY GETS THE LAURELS...

Changes were made, quite naturally, all through the second period but the hosts killed the game off rather quickly. A low header from a corner by substitute Matt Sysum, who had wrestled the skipper’s arm-band from Dovey, had already been dropped upon by Hall and almost immediately, Carl Brown set up the hardworking Paul Fahy to add goal three. Danger was signalled each time that Kennedy fastened onto the ball on the right flank, although his finishing was wayward a few times but Mann’s goal-strike, which maybe ought to have been kept out by Hall really rubbed in the Robins’ physical authority. And Ashley Williams appeared for Evesham, only days after he had led Wales in the Euros. How benevolent of him…

CHEMLAL: REALLY GOOD FEET...

Rovers again persevered with the patience of their passing but again only rarely were the Robins stretched. Davies bustled into a shooting position but appeared to be harassed by Sysum, as his low shot rolled to a grateful Sawyer but the best chances for a consolation goal fell to replacements Giancarlo Gabbiadini, then to Liam Noble and Tom Anderson. Beating the flailing Sawyer, Gabbiadini’s glancing header from Noble’s corner was hacked from the goal-line by an Evesham replacement but a pair of brilliant blocks and the crossbar denied Rovers soon afterwards. Will Wellon threw himself in front of Noble’s low effort, a noble effort, then after the rebound had looped onto the crossbar, Sysum, whom I had heard say he hadn’t kicked a ball since last season, before accidentally booting a training cone in the warm-up, after which I had told him I wished I’d caught the moment on camera, launched himself to stop a 2 yard conversion by Anderson. Exciting stuff…

CLEVER PASS BY ELLIOTT...

THE REFEREE: NO PENALTY, NO SAD CHOICES...

Elliott drove a later shot wide, following a move which saw several Rovers unwilling to take a shot at all but their interplay was impressive nonetheless. Replacement Evesham goalie Sam Gilder fielded a shot by Kalum Marsh but the game soon ended in cool conditions, the sunset having been replaced by frowning grey clouds. 

THAT IS SOME SKY...

SAWYER TAKES 'EM ON...

Elliott was good to watch in possession for Rovers, although his passes sometimes went awry, albeit he might have expected different movement from his forwards and Louis McGrory was a willing worker. Chemlal was a revelation on the ball and Gabbiadini held the ball up well in the closing stages, being unfortunate with his near post header. 

ELLIOTT & McGRORY TAKE A BREAK...

Smith was a real danger for the Robins, Mann was manful and both Sloggett and Kennedy were free runners wide. Both full-backs, Clayton Green and Dovey were competent and Wellon, Hardy and Sysum, which sounds like the name of a shoe shop, were brusque in central defence. Sawyer was always a presence as ever, in goals and Stanley combined well enough in a combative midfield, alongside Lorcan Sheehan. Surely though one of the wingers ought to be a combative midfielder instead. With a name like Sloggett, he should be slogging it out in midfield…

GILDER KICKS OUT...

An enjoyable evening at the Jubilee Stadium and the goals were scored like this:

1-0:

A Rovers attack failed and the ball was lashed upfield by Sawyer, Mann chased it on the left, fed Smith inside him and he fired a clinical low left-footer into the bottom right corner of the net.

LOW DRIVE BY SMITH...

ROVERS EAGER TO GET ON WITH IT...

2-0:

Smith absolutely belted a right-booted penalty into the top right corner of the net.

A PENALTY THIS TIME...

...CONVERTED BY SMITH...

3-0:

Brown slipped the ball left to Fahy and he managed to slip the ball past the advancing Hall, as he fell.

FAHY: ORANGE BOOTS, BRIGHT FINISH...

DESERVED HUGS...

4-0:

Mann moved in from the right and struck a hard drive from a central position but although Hall got his hands to the shot, which was almost straight at him, he leapt, the power forced the ball over him and it bounced apologetically into an empty net.

A RUEFUL MANN...

...BUT SURELY A HAPPY ONE...

Squads:

EVESHAM UNITED:

Kevin Sawyer, Sam Gilder, Linden Dovey, Clayton Green, Lorcan Sheehan, Liam Hardy, Matt Sysum, Will Wellon, Paul Fahy, Nick Stanley, Adam Mann, Lance Smith, Jacob Sloggett, Elliott Kennedy, Carl Brown, Ashley Williams, Joe Turley, Jordan Bryan, Sam Pearson, B Prictor.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS:

Matt Hall, Liam Noble, Jon Moran, Leroy Odiero, Louis McGrory, Joe Stokes, Jamie Calvin, Blake Davies, Olly Mehew, Mohamed Chemlal, Jack Watts, Giancarlo Gabbiadini, Tom Anderson, Jordon Morris, Sam Snaith, Jack Holmes, Will Davidson, Lolo Jones, Kalem Marsh, Alex Hallet, Ben Read, Wade Elliott, Ben Reed.