EVESHAM United earned a creditable 1-1 draw at fourth placed Taunton Town in Southern League Division One South & West on Saturday, but they are now nine league and cup games without a victory.
Paul Collicutt’s side looked to be heading for defeat as the game entered its second minute of stoppage time but Sean Wood’s corner was handled in the box by a home defender and skipper Matt Sysum successfully tucked away the resulting penalty.
It was no more than United deserved, especially having gone into the game without their entire strikeforce, so having handed a debut to Adam Mann who joined the previous day on a month’s loan from Conference North side Gloucester City.
Evesham’s worrying habit of conceding early goals struck once again when Jamie Price was given the freedom of the Viridor Stadium to head home Jamie Short’s corner after just five minutes.
Mann, who looked prominent for United going forward, had a header well saved by Lloyd Irish as play switched to the other end and he then beat the Peacocks’ keeper, only to see the ball smash against a post before being cleared.
Neither side created too much for the rest of the first half, although United stopper Kevin Sawyer did make a flying save to his left from Kyle Bassett on his Taunton debut, restricting the home side to a slender 1-0 lead at the break.
Sawyer showed his class soon after the restart by depriving Price a second goal but, after that, it was Evesham who went on to dominate possession for the rest of the game.
Irish bent backwards to safely hold Kevin Slack’s cross-shot and Mann’s goalbound drive was deflected wide with Irish struggling to make his ground.
United continued to press in search of an equaliser and Sysum lifted his shot over the bar when well placed but in added time Sawyer joined his team-mates for Wood’s corner, resulting in a handball, and the spot-kick which was coolly converted by Sysum.
There was still time for Sawyer to make an important save from Graham Mercieca and ensure Evesham another well earned point on their travels.
Fourteenth placed Evesham host play-off hopefuls Shortwood United on Saturday before entertaining lowly Bashley on Tuesday.