EVESHAM (2) 4

ROVERS (0) 0

Division One West

By Peter McKinney

ROVERS promotion dreams were left in tatters at Common Road on Saturday as they were out played in a one-side affair by Evesham.

Two goals in each half ensured Rovers lost for a third time to their Worcestershire rivals and missed a chance of winning promotion.

Leaky Rovers produced one of the worst performances of the campaign, handing Evesham's Grant Pinkney two goals at the start of both halfs.

Both sides went into the season's defining game without defensive kingpins, with Evesham's Lee Knight and Rovers Ross Collins both absent through injury.

Manager Jimmy Mullen had spoke about revenge for his side's 2-0 defeat at Evesham back in January but an error by right back Matt Johnson handed the home side the perfect start.

Johnson stumbled when accepting a pass from fellow defender Matt Gardiner in the fourth minute and Pinkney gratefully accepted the chance to score by slotting the ball under the despairing goalkeeper Matt Lowe.

Evesham goalkeeper Tim Clarke rushed out to beat striker Leon Mitchell to Riad Erraji's probing through ball in the 15th minute.

Rovers went in search of an equaliser and captain Steve Hillman headed Johnson's cross just wide but Steve Duncan grabbed the second crucial goal in the 19th minute.

The imposing midfielder took advantage of lead footed marking by Rovers and rose highest to head Matt Hall's free-kick past Lowe.

The away side pushed Evesham back in search of a goal, but Gardiner's far post header was straight at Clarke, while Steve Hands' last ditch tackle denied Mitchell after Paul Szewczyk put him through.

Pinkney was terrorising Johnson down the right wing and he won a free kick after taking the ball off the hesitant Rovers right back. However, Gardiner cleared Gavin O'Toole's delivery.

Evesham were let off the hook when Mitchell's shot crashed off the bottom left hand post in the 35th minute, before Clarke got down well to keep out Kevin Banner's follow-up.

But Rovers' hopes of a fight back were finally killed off in the first minute of the second half.

Lowe failed to collect Hall's corner from the right and as Rovers' defence failed to clear the ball Pinkney pounced to score from close range.

Shell shocked - Jimmy Mullen's side plugged away in the vain hope of a miracle but against a well organised Evesham side struggled to find an opening.

Paul Szewczyk wasted a clear shooting chance in the 56th minute when he blazed over Clarke's bar, before Evesham's Jermain Clarke angled a shot wide after an incisive move down the right wing.

Clarke tipped over Gardiner's header from Banner's free-kick in the 66th minute.

As the game wore on the visitor's fighting spirit ebbed away and United winger Leon Blake settled a one-sided match with a well-taken free kick in the 82nd minute.

Duncan was sent off for a second bookable offence with seven minutes to go, after he swung a fist at Gardiner but it did little to change the game's outcome.

Evesham supporters erupted into jubilant cheers at the sound of the full time whistle, while Rovers fans drowned their sorrows in song.

Rovers: Lowe 6, Johnson 5 (Appleton, 58mins, 6), Hillman 6, Gardiner 7, Male 6, Hadland 6 (Benbow 70mins, 6), Frost 6, Erraji 6, Szewczyk 7, Mitchell 6, Banner 6.

Referee: Mr J Hopkins (Essex).

Attendance: 857.