Thame Utd 0, Evesham Utd 4

THERE was a swagger about the way the Robins went about Saturday's Division One West business and the scoreline amply reflects their superiority, writes Mervyn Collins.

The fact that Thame were harshly reduced to ten men on the half-hour shouldn't take anything away from a performance from Dave Busst's magnificent men that could easily have seen the margin of victory doubled.

The Common Road chief recalled Leon Blake in place of Simeon Williams and gave an away debut to Matty Hall with the former Moor Green winger replacing the virus-stricken Simon Fitter.

Blake and Hall both shone out in a sparkling team display that saw twin strikers Richard Ball and Jermaine Clarke combine as well as they have done since the former's arrival.

However, it was the latter's namesake Tim who was first into action when pulling off a fine diving stop to keep out Jon Gardner's vicious second minute strike that was heading for the top corner.

A minute later striker Clarke's forward header was expertly toe-poked over Steve Smith by Gavin O'Toole to give Evesham a lead they never looked like relinquishing.

Ball was given a sight of goal after more aerial excellence from his partner but Smith saved before Steve Duncan limped off after 19 minutes to be replaced by Neil O'Sullivan.

The reshuffle appeared to unsettle the visitors and John Mitchell shot over from 18 yards before the points were as good as wrapped up when Ball's pass inside the full back saw Hall sent tumbling inside the penalty area just as he was about to shoot.

The penalty award was an easy one for referee Haj Singh but the red card that followed for Jon Hilson angered the home side and was met with surprise by both camps.

Ball confidently converted the spot-kick and he should really have been lining up a 12-yarder four minutes earlier when Smith fumbled a catch under pressure from Clarke who was then hauled back by the desperate custodian. However, Mr Singh belatedly decided to blow up for the striker's initial challenge!

The pair were again in the thick of the action when Hall sent Clarke clear with the goalkeeper saving the striker's left-footer and then seeing the follow-up find the side-netting.

O'Toole headed Hall's corner over the top before the flank man produced a weak finish when put in by Ball's vision.

Gardner fired wide as Thame started the second half with a series of corners but a ninth away win of the season was sealed after 48 minutes when Smith saved Ball's shot after Clarke's assist only for Hall to fire in the rebound in spectacular fashion.

Grant Pinkney sent a left-footer a yard wide but there was nothing wrong with Hall's sensors when he thumped home United's fourth from 20 yards.

Busst was then afforded the luxury of replacing Ball with Lee Knight who lasted just five minutes up front before stepping into Stuart Hamilton's shoes at the back with Williams moving alongside Clarke.

Gardner had again been thwarted by Clarke's safe hands but the final ten minutes saw Evesham rack up the chances and only be denied more goals by Smith's excellence.

Pinkney and Williams both produced disappointing strikes from good positions before Smith produced a superb one-handed stop to keep out a Clarke blockbuster.

The ensuing corner saw the ball reach Williams, whose angled drive was arrowing into the bottom corner until Smith somehow appeared to flip the ball past a post.

Williams again made the most of space down the left to flash another effort a yard wide before the referee called a halt to a contest that, had it been a boxing match, would have been stopped a good deal earlier!