DAVE Busst's elation at seeing his Evesham side reach the Division One West play-off final was soured when he was ordered to leave the technical area, writes Mervyn Collins.

The United manager was understandably excited when Jermaine Clarke's late goal took Monday's tie into extra-time but he hadn't reckoned on the fourth official spoiling his celebration.

"He grabbed me by an arm and I asked him to leave me alone three times," the fuming Common Road chief recalled.

"If it had been the other way round then I would have been the subject of an assault charge. He wanted me to go along the touchline for a word but I told him that "I wasn't going anywhere". He then called the referee over and he didn't want to talk with me but insisted that I go and sit in the stand. He wouldn't say why!"

Busst revealed that he had got at least five witnesses to the furore to back his case should he be hauled before the FA.

"I will be interested to read the referee's report but I certainly won't be going down to London for a hearing," an adamant Busst declared.

The United boss said that the view from the stand was "better". "The players knew where I was and it was more relaxing," he said.

Bust was also confident his players would find the equaliser although he was ready for penalties.

"We had discussed before the match who the penalty takers would be and Craig (Pountney) was just getting ready to be brought on when Bally scored the winner," the manager recalled.

Busst, whose father John watched Broms-grove secure a 3-2 extra-time win at Clevedon, is aware of the importance and toughness of this weekend's promotion decider.

"They've got moreorless the same players that we beat here in January but that victory and the one at Broms-grove earlier in the season mean nothing," the United boss admitted.

Busst could recall Gavin O'Toole who started on the bench against Ashford after sitting out Saturday's win with an Achilles problem.

The manager will also assess the fitness of Grant Pinkney at training tonight before selecting his side for Saturday's encounter.

The manager called on the fans to again get behind the Robins in view of Bromsgrove's larger fan base.

"If they shout us on like they did on Monday then that will be great," Busst admitted. "The atmosphere was superb at the end and the players really appreciated their efforts. I just hope that we can repay the supporters with a victory."

Final standings

P W L D F A Pts

Mangotsfield 42 24 11 7 89 49 83

Yate Tn 42 24 9 9 83 40 81

Evesham 42 23 10 9 66 31 79 Clevedon 42 24 6 12 82 49 78

Bromsgrove 42 19 15 8 60 42 72

Ashford 42 17 13 12 63 46 64

Brackley 42 18 10 14 69 53 64

Paulton 42 18 7 17 62 61 61

Burnham 42 17 7 18 64 64 58

Rothwell 42 16 10 16 57 57 58

Thame Utd 42 17 6 19 58 69 57

Corby Tn 42 14 12 16 52 62 54

Marlow 42 13 14 15 58 67 53

Stourport 42 15 7 20 62 63 52

Bedworth 42 15 7 20 51 60 52

Cinderford 42 13 12 17 50 64 51

Taunton 42 14 8 20 66 75 50

Sutton C* 42 16 11 15 54 61 48

Swindon S 42 12 12 18 43 60 48

Bracknell 42 10 13 19 53 75 43

Oxford City 42 11 8 23 49 71 41

Egham 42 6 4 32 25 97 22

*Points deducted.