IT'S difficult to explain away Saturday's sorry FA Cup saga without being critical of the players.

For 45 minutes they played like of bunch of strangers with seemingly no appetite for what victory meant to travelling supporters and club officials.

Gone was the swagger that easily saw off Cinderford to earn a third qualifying round date on the south coast.

Gone was the tigerish tackling, swift passing and team spirit that has epitomised a fine start to the season. And gone was the £10,000 that the club could have sorely benefited from had the hosts been defeated.

As it was the Premier Division side were make to look like worldbeaters in an embarrassingly one-sided opening 45 minutes.

United couldn't even manage a serious attack, while wild shots from distance by Darren Bullock, Danny James and Steve Lutz were all the Robins had to show for their meagre attacking efforts.

The latter pair could provide the reason for the tepid tone of Evesham's demise as they were asked to fill the boots of suspended Nathan James and flu-stricken Shaun Pratt.

Surely, United wouldn't have been such easy fodder had the absent duo been paraded on Westleigh Park's ample surface.

Chris Taylor's return to United colours for an FA Cup debut was far from memorable although the goalkeeper produced four fine stops to prevent Havant doubling their winning margin.

Fellow debutant, Tim Langford, was just inches away from crowning his debut with a goal but the ex-Stourport manager was unable to react quickly enough after Andy Smith's cross-cum-shot after 67 minutes cannoned off the inside of a post.

A goal then and the visitors would have been right back in the match but undeservedly so.

Jay Powell's needless foul saw Paul Wood head in the subsequent free-kick for the opener after seven minutes and United were 2-0 down five minutes later when James Taylor headed past his goalkeeping namesake from ten-yards.

Warren Haughton then struck a post as Havant'Ville took complete command.

Manager Phil Mullen switched to five at the back midway through the half but United's game was lame, disjointed and without any spark.

Mullen must have shaken his charges into action at the break as Andy Smith forced his side's first corner of the afternoon within seconds of the whistle. Unfortunately, Grant Pinkney wasted the flag-kick - one of many elementary errors during the tie.

Langford replaced James soon after that, with no service to thrive on neither the new man nor an out of sorts Leroy May caused the home defence any problems.

Powell headed over his own bar, Dean Blake shot wide, Paul West produced a crucial challenge and Taylor's legs denied Blake as the Evesham rearguard struggled to cope.

However, Smith's effort appeared to lift the Robins and the hosts were suddenly made - for 15 minutes - to look like what they are an ordinary side.

James Brown replaced West but the goal United so desperately needed failed to materialise.

Matt Gardiner's miserable afternoon earned him a late booking for a late lunge at Havant keeper Aaron Kerr while two errors summed up Evesham's defensive frailties.

Gardiner, however, hooked a shot off the line before Haughton waltzed past of couple of non existent tackles to make it 3-0.

Gardiner's second mistake led to Powell felling Howe in the box and substitute Tim Hambley sent Taylor the wrong way from 12 yards.

The goalkeeper then denied his namesake a second and Havant a fifth on a day when Evesham failed to score for the first time this season - perhaps an indication of the massive influence of Messrs Jukes and Pratt!