Saturday, December 14, 2002

IT may have taken until the third minute of injury time for Nathan Jukes to rifle home his 25-yard winner but Bromsgrove Rovers can have few complaints at defeat.

Gary Hackett and Jon Ford's side had the two best chances but were otherwise distinctly average at a freezing cold Common Road.

Quite simply, Evesham wanted it more. The two sides were evenly matched for long periods of at times a fiercely fought game but Phil Mullen's side, camped in the final third for the last ten minutes, were worthy of their deserved goal.

And what a goal it was. The ball fell to Jukes outside the penalty area and he smashed it right-footed via the unlucky Matt Lowe's hand, on to the cross bar and down over the line.

That sparked mass jubilation on the Evesham bench and left Rovers' players gutted at having let a point slip.

Perhaps it was harsh, so late on, but Rovers never looked like getting much more than a point.

Their best chance, Mark Clifton's header from Richard Burgess' cross, was brilliantly saved by former Rovers goalkeeper Chris Taylor while Burgess also stuck a Mark Benbow cross wide.

Rovers' misery was compounded when new signing Parfait Medou-Otye hobbled off half an hour in and was replaced by Grant Beckett, making his first appearance for nearly two months.

The game started brightly with Steve Lutz heading against the bar for Evesham and Neil Cartwright shaving the post from distance. Steve Pope also made a timely interception early on to block the impressive Shaun Pratt's shot.

A better second half saw Clifton's header saved while at the other end Lowe comfortably gathered a series of Evesham corners.

Cartwright wormed his way through the Robins rearguard on 68 minutes but was thwarted by Taylor before Evesham substitute Neil Ilman shot narrowly wide three minutes later.

Tempers boiled over six minutes from time, resulting in a mass slanging match and a booking for Jukes and Benbow.

But Jukes had the final word when he let fly from 25 yards to hand Evesham the points.

ROVERS

Lowe 6, Benbow (sub Lloyd 87 mins) 7, Banner 6, Clifton 6, Medou-Otye (sub Beckett 29 mins 6) 6, Pope 7, Dyson 6, Cartwright 6, Burgess (sub Palmer 82 mins) 7, DANKS 8*, Frost 6. Subs not used: Read, Thomas.

Att - 234.