Evesham Utd 1, Marlow 1

TWO goals hardly in context with a scrappy contest and there would have been a third spectacular finish had Marlow keeper Lee Knott not flung himself to his left to keep out Ravi Sangha's 86th minute thunderous volley, writes Mervyn Collins.

There was little festive fayre on offer in the dullest of opening 45 minutes that was only illuminated by Steve Croxford's acrobatic volleyed opener that left the Robins with a mountain to climb in the second period.

It took them just two minutes to level courtesy of Sangha's brilliant strike from 18 yards but the hosts couldn't quite reach the heights needed to claim three points for the first time in three games but they did manage to hold on to top spot as only Clevedon of the top five sides managed a victory.

Dave Busst's men deserved to win if only for their second half efforts that would have brought a welcome maximum had it not been for some last-ditch defending by a Marlow side with one of the worst defensive records in the division.

They didn't have to defend well in the first half as United's long ball game was easily swallowed up by three towering central defenders who saw Grant Pinkney and Neil McDonald volley shots off the target and Jermaine Clarke find the side-netting after a cross from Sangha.

The latter then took advantage of rare hesitancy but could only shoot wide on the turn from ten yards before the visitors took the lead when Croxford was left unmarked at a corner to power the ball past Dave Adey from 18 yards.

Gavin O'Toole saw a goalbound drive blocked as the Robins sought an instant response - a reply that came without the services of top scorer Clarke who was replaced at half-time by Aaron Farrell.

The substitute impressed alongside scorer Sangha although he must have benefited from an interval roasting that had the desired effect.

Stott blocked Leon Blake's 50th minute shot before Sangha's set-up gave Marc Burrow a clear sight of goal but the midfielder fired his shot over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.

The Marlow keeper then collected an O'Toole free-kick underneath the bar before racing to the edge of his area to block Sangha's shot with the goal gaping.

The visitors brought on the section's top scorer Yashwa Romeo in a double change 17 minutes from time but it was still all Evesham and Farrell's half-volley that was bound for the bottom corner was deflected a yard wide.

Stott's miraculous stop thwarted Sangha and the save would have been doubly distressing for the Common Roaders had Croxford not directed a free header from a corner straight at the grateful Adey.

Two points from nine is hardly the mark of champions and, as Busst rightly pointed out in his programme notes, the next three matches will be crucial in United's season.