Town test is too tough for United (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Town test is too tough for United

Yate Town 2, Evesham Utd 0

WHEN the going got tough, United just didn't get going, writes Mervyn Collins.

A first defeat in seven matches isn't the end of the world for Saturday's losers but the manner of defeat certainly puts a huge question mark against their chances of gaining automatic promotion.

Matty Hall and Leon Blake saw plenty of possession on the right in the opening stages but their final ball into the box was severely lacking.

Tim Clarke made a couple of scrambling saves before Richard Ball's 18th minute header was wayward from Gavin O'To-ole's dead-ball.

Five minutes later and another set-piece from a corner saw Clarke, proud winner of the division's Safe Hands Award for February, flap at the ball at his near post and Darren Edwards poked in the loose ball from six yards.

Yate's pressure brought a handful of corners in as many minutes but Evesham, missing the influential Stuart Hamilton and Steve Duncan through injury, survived and should have levelled when Hall blazed badly over and Ball directed another free header into the side-netting.

Marc Burrow's thumping volley three minutes before the break was punched away by Town keeper Tony Court who must have had a wry smile on his face on the stroke of half-time when his opposite number spilled a regulation catch from Paul Cheno-weth's shot and could only watch as the ball bounced over the line.

It could have been worse for the visitors had an assistant referee not ruled out Chenoweth's finish for offside in stoppage-time and Yate continued to call the tune after the restart when Richard Kear fired narrowly wide and Clarke thwarted Edwards as United's defence was again stretched.

Burrow was replaced by Simon Fitter on the hour and O'Toole's cry of "do we want to win this game or what!" more than adequately summed up United's predicament.

It seemed they didn't! The hosts were seemingly first to every ball and up for the task while Evesham's efforts were totally devoid of invention and passion.

Blake and Ball fired in tame finishes and Hall's effort from distance flashed a yard wide. Neil O'Sullivan saw a goalbound shot blocked and Ball's follow-up was parried to safety by Court.

The latter pair were replaced by Grant Pinkney and Simeon Williams six minutes from time but it was too little too late although the former's dazzling run down the left and subsequent cross might have given boss Busst a reminder of the substitute's talents but another woeful finish from Williams summed up a miserable afternoon for the Common Roaders.

Ball's frustration and tangle with Andy Neal earned the striker a tenth caution of the season after the intervention of assistant referee Paul Stowe compounded United's despair.

In fact the linesman might consider himself the only person with an Evesham connection to have got a result on the day!