Evesham Utd 0, Yate Town 1

WHEN you dispense with three of your four strikers you are digging a massive hole for yourself if your side fails to find the net.

Admittedly United were playing the side with the second worst defensive record in the division and having lost all six away matches.

But, with his own side having scored just 11 times in 13 league matches, surely it was a case of all hands to the pump!

Manager Dave Busst reportedly stated after the game that he had played with three strikers - now come on Dave, comments like that are only going to infuriate the paying fans even more than Saturday's tenth successive match without a win.

The only striker on the field in a striped shirt was Richard Ball and he may as well have sat in the dugout next to new forward recruit Romi Cammack who never got a look in!

Louder

Facts speak far louder than words and Dave Adey was called on to produce ten top quality saves, while opposite number Tony Court had two shots to deal with. Enough said!

For a second successive Saturday, the home stopper kept the Robins alive but they wouldn't have scored had they played until the clocks had been turned back the next morning.

Turning back the clock to last May's promotion celebrations might be what the United players need to do if a first season in the top flight isn't to end in the ignominy of relegation back into the woeful world of Division One West football.

Evesham's latest display didn't even belong there - it belonged in the Alliance - no not the Midland version but the Stratford one!!

Busst's latest recruit Rob Taylor lasted a little over an hour before the biggest cheer of the afternoon heralded the return of Grant Pinkney.

The local lad couldn't save the day but at least a couple of dashes down the left finally opened up a far from solid Yate defence but an equaliser wasn't forthcoming.

There was nothing in the home side's play to see where a goal was coming from. Ball was either offside or on his own on a day when the only decent service on view was from the refreshment hut!

Guy Hadland, Steve Duncan and Leon Blake are all hard working but give the ball away far too easily. Matty Hall needs the ball at his feet but when he got it he had another of "those days".

Debutant Taylor showed glimpses of what Busst had brought him in to do but again it was the back four who had to work the hardest but again for no reward.

Adey made four fine first half stops, before Court's legs kept out Ball's left-footer three minutes before the break.

Two minutes later, a contentious handball decision gave Dave Elsey the chance to curl in a left-footer and he did it superbly from 22 yards despite Adey getting fingertips to his shot.

The Evesham goalkeeper then kept his side in the game with a series of brilliant saves, while his outfield colleagues failed to make any impression as an attacking force.

Another dead-ball situation almost conjured up a 70th minute equaliser but, when Hall found himself in space in the penalty area, his driven cross evaded everyone in the six-yard box.

Neil O'Sullivan dragged a last-gasp 20-yarder wide at the end of a match when the manager's future at Common Road is certainly under the microscope.

l UNITED fans have the chance to quiz Dave Busst and Paul West at a fans' forum next Thursday from 9pm in the clubhouse.