Evesham Utd 1, Sutton Coldfield Tn 3

TIM Clarke hardly had a save to make during the 90 minutes yet still ended up conceding three goals for a second successive Saturday, writes Mervyn Collins.

He had hardly touched the ball when the diminutive Dean Perrow glanced in a near post header ahead of Clarke and a defender to give the visitors a 23rd minute lead.

Midway through a second half that again was dominated by Dave Busst's side, Clarke and Inderpaul Khela got into a tangle and Kevin Jones chipped the keeper from 25 yards to give the hosts a mountain to climb if they weren't to slip to a fourth successive defeat at Common Road since Busst's arrival.

Evesham's attacking enterprise was rewarded six minutes from time when Craig Pountney expertly netted a fourth goal in five outings - three of them off the bench - after substitute Danny James' astute assist.

However, within two minutes, Sutton had been gifted a third when Marc Burrow was caught napping and Marvin Blake blasted the ball past a helpless Clarke.

That just about illustrated Evesham's current plight. They played some fine football and produced at least a dozen decent scoring opportunities.

Had Busst been able to persuade Lee Ross to come to Common Road rather than wait for talks with two other clubs, then Saturday might have been different but, if the third-placed winners are anything to judge then United aren't far off getting things right despite their lowly predicament.

Sean Flynn partnered Pountney in attack and he forced an early save from Justin Bray.

A Pountney chip was narrowly too high, while Grant Pinkney saw another effort deflected for a corner.

Perrow's strike was a bodyblow as chances suddenly dried up for the hosts but Pountney will have been disappointed not to have controlled a pass from Craig Ball on the stroke of half-time with the assistant's flag by his side and only Bray to beat.

Flynn headed a free kick from Nathan Jukes a foot over, while a couple of cautions for the visitors summed up their frustration as Evesham chased an equaliser.

Pinkney's magnificent run and cross saw Pountney stretch to his limit to poke agonisingly wide and the striker's next shot was blocked after Jukes had headed down Andy Smith's 61st minute cross.

Five minutes later, Pinkney's wayward back pass, Khela's indecision and Clarke's hasty dash off his line all contrived to let Jones double Sutton's lead but still the home side charged forward and Pount-ney's flashing volley from Smith centre was inches too high.

James replaced Khela 12 minutes from time and just prior to him setting up Pou-ntney the former Studley man had tested Bray with a header from yet another Smith cross.

It was all set up for a grandstand finish when Pountney ended the Common Road goal drought but Blake's crashing finish ended home hopes of only a third win in 14 matches despite late strikes from James and Ball that thudded into visiting bodies.

Dr Martens League

Western Division

P W D L F A Pts

Redditch 17 12 3 2 33 11 39

Rugby Utd 20 12 3 5 32 22 39

Bromsgrove 17 9 5 3 27 14 32

Sutton C'field 19 9 5 5 26 17 32

Halesowen 15 8 5 2 32 16 29

Gloucester 14 8 3 3 31 20 27

Team Bath 17 8 3 6 29 21 27

Solihull 17 8 3 6 20 15 27

Cirencester 14 8 2 4 28 15 26

Swindon SM 19 7 5 7 21 29 26

Gresley 18 7 3 8 27 26 24

Clevedon 19 7 3 9 23 26 24

Ilkeston 19 6 6 7 24 33 24

Stourport 18 5 6 7 23 27 21

Taunton Tn 16 6 2 8 19 22 20

Yate 17 5 3 9 21 33 18

Evesham 19 5 2 12 27 34 17

Mangotsfield 14 5 1 8 22 36 16

Bedworth 18 3 5 10 16 28 14

Shepshed 21 2 8 11 16 41 14

Cinderford 18 3 4 11 21 32 13