The Marches 2

Wotton-under-Edge 4ths 2 Evesham & Badsey 5

IT was not to be Wotton fourths' day. Despite playing with the advantage of subs for the first time in a few months, Evesham and Badsey took the win.

Initial forays into the opponent’s half in the first ten minutes, and steady defending when under pressure from Evesham attacks all indicated that this would be a good hard fixture.

The Wotton side steadied, and worked hard to avoid any early easy play for the home side, which was pleasing. Several players found themselves working hard under a barrage of intentional pressure, but held firm, holding the ball for their team mates and helping out with some useful sniping runs to receive the return where possible.

Jacob Phillips, James Cox, Adam Hanney, Stuart Jones, and Tom Cranwell all worked hard to try and find a way through Evesham’s heavy defensive line, and it was all looking good for a determined attack, and some possible goals.

From 15 minutes in, Wotton started to lose track of where they were on the pitch, and whilst our individual play strengthened still further, our team interplay was put under pressure by the physicality of the home side, and Wotton found it harder to move the ball around their players.

Despite this challenge, Wotton kept going, and worked off the ball to try and open opportunities.

Simon Weston and Hanney worked hard to try and hold space around the players, with Haney making well-timed short punchy runs to explore their defence and Weston putting heavy pressure on the Evesham defence to slow down the ball as it came out from the back. Hard thankless work, but very much worthwhile.

Evesham worked hard to drive the ball up the field, and sought the open space behind our midfield line, with Brian Patterson and Steve Marfleet working hard to press up and take the ball away, which they both did repeatedly.

With heavy pressure on our 23 from several attacks, and some questionable goal-mouth scrambling, the home side took the lead with a hard-worked goal.

Wotton held the ball high for several more minutes, but lost it to a Evesham midfielder, and they put a second in the backboard, despite the courage of Wotton goalie Leo Wells, who was working very hard to keep away an increasingly confident home side.

Wotton worked hard at the back, with Hal Smillie driving with increasing confidence up the right wing from his position at the back, and Martin Dove tracking all attacks out to the corners and denying several attackers the chance to play with any space.

Against the run of a period of Wotton possession, Evesham worked the ball up into the D again, but were skilfully dispossessed by the rampant defence of Patterson, who had started to feel the possibility and value of some good counter attacks.

With half time came some simple words from the captain: pass the ball, and make its movement count. Tire them out, and we will find a way through.

Evesham were not to be challenged so easily, and the first ten minutes of the second half went the same way, with the Wotton team working the ball hard up, then losing it to a confident Evesham attack, who worked the ball around the back to put pressure at the top of the D.

Then came a good breakout, with Martin Dove and the central midfield finding each other in space, with a decent pass to a rampaging David 'Chev' Chevin on the left side of the opposition’s half leaving Evesham stumbling in his wake.

Three light steps onto the ball, a quick turn and acceleration past the 23, and Chevin found himself with only the keeper to beat. Pleasingly, he did exactly that and Wotton sensed a comeback was on the cards.

Evesham started to work the ball into the hands of their two central players, moving the ball steadily into the top of the D and putting pressure on the Wotton goal, with a couple of scrambles resulting in a further goal for the home side, giving them a cushion that the run of play did not deserve.

Added to that frustrating scoreline was the inability of the opposition to find their way past the diving form of Wells, who held the scoreline steady until an unwelcome call by the umpires resulted in the game’s only penalty flick, which was dispatched by a grateful Evesham attacker.

Wotton then started to play with greater passion and belief and moved the ball high with further attacks and a couple of short corners coming in quick succession.

From the second of these short corners, after messy in-D play from both sides, the ball flicked across from Cranwell to the stick of a hungry Cox, who struck the ball to the low left corner and the waiting stick of a surprised Evesham defender.

Whilst still trying to work out why he felt like he had been hit by a steam roller, the ball was stolen on the bounce by Gideon York, who fired it back under the stick and into the waiting backboard. A welcome reward for hard working team play.

With two on the board and just over six minutes to play, the ask was a big one. For five minutes, Wotton played high and pressed to try and give that important third goal, but a steady defence by the home side put paid to that dream.

With only a couple of minutes on the clock, and following an indigestible umpiring call, Wotton faced a short corner.

A moment's relaxation, and the ball was in the goal, on the right side. Wotton and Evesham both worked hard for the remainder, with the away side having most of the play, but nothing to show for it.

The final whistle resulted in a 5-2 victory for a relieved Evesham side who will press harder for a promotion place as a result.

Wotton departed with heads held high, with a second half display that had started to return to their structured play from a couple of months ago.

Some lessons were learnt from this game that will stand them well, as they focus on bringing their league season back on track with wins in the coming matches.