Worcester Wanderers 7, Evesham 24

It was an impressive start to the season for Evesham's first team under the leadership of new captain Gary Diston in a local fixture at Sixways.

Evesham started well playing with the breeze and slope in their favour and were soon on the attack. After only six minutes, a front peel line-out in the Worcester 22 was driven on by the Evesham forwards to the try line where second row Neil McVea dived over for the opening score in the corner.

Rick Taylor's conversion attempt fell just short to leave the visitors five points ahead.

This spurred the Worcester side into action and they took control of the game for a spell as Evesham incurred a number of penalties but the visitors' defence was good with centre Pat Johnson and flanker Sean Moulton to the fore.

The home side looked as though they had scored after 20 minutes of the half only for the try to be disallowed.

With only 23 minutes gone young prop forward Steve Brooks strained a calf muscle and was replaced by Ben Wool-torton, a former Evesham colt who has returned to the club after a number of years away.

The game entered an evenly matched period by then but after 35 minutes Evesham scored again.

This time it was from a scrum on the halfway line. Hooker Mike Figgit struck against the head and scrum half Chris Evis was quick to feed his backs.

The ball was moved swiftly along the line to full back Rick Taylor who entered the line at pace. Taylor cut inside off the wing and then, after searing across the pitch, cleverly cut back to fool the defence and score under the posts. He then added the conversion for a 12-0 lead.

The visitors continued to pressurise the home side and, on the stroke of half time, scored their third try, again from a Worc-ester scrum five metres out form their line.

Figgit again took it against the head and his forwards drove the home side's pack back over their own line where Evis had the simple task of touching down. Taylor was unlucky with the conversion attempt to leave the score at the interval 17-0.

The only change at half-time saw Matt Archer replace Ben Whatmore at No 8 but shortly after the break youngsters Darrel Keen and Adrian Mars-kell replace Diston and Wool-torton.

The game remained fairly evenly matched with both sides trying to play attacking rugby. Eventually, Worcester reaped the reward for their persistence in both defence and attack by scoring a converted try after a quick tap penalty in the Eve-sham 22.

Evesham's final change saw a debut for 18-year-old Callum Young replacing Figgit at hooker. It seemed Young had been watching closely as he managed to take a scrum against the head before the end as well.

Evesham's tactic of probing for the corners by new fly-half Phil Armstrong paid off in the final quarter as the pressure of line-outs in the Worcester eventually saw them concede a penalty which Evis converted into points by carving open a gap in the centre to score his second try of the game. Arms-trong converted to complete the scoring.

Evesham travel to Upton on Saturday for a 3pm start.