Rothwell Tn 0, Evesham Utd 1

ARGUMENTS raged all around Cecil Street after United snatched a dramatic 90th minute winner in last Saturday's Southern League Division One West top of the table clash, writes Mervyn Collins.

There was ranting in the home dressing room, differences of opinion in the away changing room and inquests in the referee's room.

Rothwell were incensed that Lee Knight's header, helped into the net by Wesley Joyce, from Gavin O'Toole's corner was allowed to stand with home players and fans claiming the centre forward used his hand to force the ball home.

And, it certainly looked that way as the referee's assessor revealed afterwards that he had spotted the infringement missed by both man in the middle Mr Caswell and his senior assistant - a conversation that led to the referee apologising to home officials.

Meanwhile, happiness in the Evesham camp was tinged with a good deal of friendly banter as Knight and Joyce fought out just who had scored the winner.

"I got the final touch," said a smiling Joyce, whose demeanour suggested that it wasn't with his head! "It was over the line when Wes touched it," the captain claimed and it was Knight's name that appeared on the official papers.

It didn't matter to Dave Busst's side, what mattered was that three points had been pocketed after a game of few chances at the end of a scrappy contest.

Perhaps, United edged it in terms of efforts on goal but they would have settled for a point until the late winner.

There was an element of good fortune as Town struck a post ten minutes from time after Tim Clarke had flipped a near post header from a corner to safety but that was the goalkeeper's solitary serious alarm.

While the defence takes the plaudits for a fifth clean sheet on the road, the midfield and attack failed to gel although again everyone worked hard and that commitment was rewarded.

Steve Towers drove a 25-yarder inches over in a first half of woeful passing and lack of incisive action from both teams.

That was almost all forgotten, however, within 30 seconds of the restart when Grant Pinkney volleyed a cross from Simeon Williams into the path of Jermaine Clarke, preferred to Ravi Sangha, but the tall striker shot on the turn flashed narrowly wide.

Clarke was replaced ten minutes later by Danny Williams who produced a couple of crosses that caused anxiety for home keeper Tom Smith who was only drafted in at the last minute when news that original keeper John Hughes had just become a dad!

It wasn't babies the home fans were having three hours later - it was kittens as United's last-gasp clincher shocked them into a stream of expletives directed at the match officials and visiting players who couldn't hide their joy at when Knight's labours at the back bore fruit from O'Toole's perfect delivery!