SKIPPER Leon Blake will be missing for an Easter weekend when Evesham United's fate may be decided, writes Mervyn Collins.

Blake is on holiday for the matches at home to Bath City on Saturday and Monday's trip to Cirencester, when two defeats coupled with two wins for Northwood would see the Robins relegated.

However, despite defeat last weekend, Evesham are still hoping to pick up enough points to move out of the bottom three and give them a chance of staving off releagtion.

"Last Saturday was a lost opportunity but results elsewhere went our way and we've still got a fighting chance of escaping," said boss Paul West. The Common Road chief will be hoping Steve Luckett's ankle problem will ease enought for the central defender to be reinstated in a back line that has leaked six goals in two games after conceding the same number in the previous six matches.

"The defence has been very good all season but we weren't at the races at Merthyr and we were sloppy at set-pieces last weekend," West admitted.

Luckett's return would allow Adam Blake to replace his namesake in midfield although Chad Shepherd, substitute last weekend, could also fill in.

West, though, fears Grant Pinkney has played his last game of the season after suffering a recurrence of an ongoing groin problem.

"We've got to two big games coming up and we've got to get something out of them," the United manager admitted. "Other teams did us favours last weekend when we do didn't do ourselves any!"

If there are no home "winners" on the field on Saturday, there will definitely be some inside the Common Road clubhouse after the game.

The club is staging one of its popular race nights when horses go under starter's orders at 7.30pm. All are welcome and admission is free.

Saturday's match ball is sponsored by Derek Monaghan.