AFC Totton 1 Evesham United 4
Southern League Division One South & West
INSPIRED Evesham United gained revenge for a 2-1 defeat in August by comprehensively beating AFC Totton at the Testwood Stadium on Saturday.
The well deserved win keeps third placed United firmly on course for a play-off place and extends the Robins’ excellent run of results to just one defeat in 19 games.
In a one-sided contest in Hampshire, Totton had no answer to United’s pace and movement and were lucky not to be on the end of a much heavier defeat.
United were on the attack from the start with Linden Dovey and Lee Smith both going close before Smith provided the cross for the hardworking Ashley Edenborough to open the scoring on seven minutes with a typical poacher’s header past on-loan AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper Pat O’Flaherty.
In United’s next attack, the debutant Stags stopper showed smart reactions to deny Edenborough a second goal after the in-form striker had expertly worked an opening for himself on the edge of the box.
After all United’s dominance, it came as something of a shock when Taylor Edwards stooped to head home Mike Gosney’s right-wing corner after 16 minutes to bring the hosts level at 1-1.
United, however, were soon causing problems again at the other end, when the tricky George Washbourne crashed a free kick against the inside of a post and O’Flaherty made crucial stops from Edenborough, Carl Brown and Adam Mann.
Surprisingly Evesham failed to find the net again before half time as countless shots fizzed just wide or were taken by the overworked O’Flaherty.
It was more of the same in the second half with the Totton defence under constant pressure and it was no surprise when they cracked again on 58 minutes when Edenborough’s pace took him clear and he coolly slotted past the advancing O’Flaherty for his 14th goal of the season.
Shortly afterwards it became 3-1 when Matt Sysum lashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range after O’Flaherty had pushed aside Mann’s low drive into the path of the unmarked United skipper.
For the remainder of the game the Red and Whites were camped in the Totton half and it was left to Jared Wilson to complete the scoring with 12 minutes to go with a well placed shot beyond the helpless O’Flaherty for his fourth goal in three games which set the seal on an impressive tenth league win on the road for Paul Collicutt’s men.
The Robins host lowly Fleet Town on Saturday.