VICTORY at Bilston on Saturday will see Evesham exact revenge for two earlier defeats while doing their fellow promotion rivals a favour.

United's 2-1 win at Atherstone on Monday night - a seventh success in eight league matches on the road - lifted Phil Mullen's men into joint second spot and just six adrift of leaders Bilston with a match in hand.

"We owe them one after what happened earlier this season," said manager Mullen, who will have to decide whether to reinstate skipper Steve Taylor or give last Saturday's matchwinner Andrew Hodgetts a second successive start.

The latter failed to shine in a far from satisfactory show at Atherstone when strike partner Shaun Pratt netted the equaliser after the hosts had taken a fourth minute lead.

Mark Wolsey's dazzling run and cross in the ninth minute was the highlight of a wet and windy night and Pratt could hardly miss with his far post header.

A minute earlier Phil Preedy had brought the save of the night out of Dale Belford, a far cry from Damien Beattie's flap that handed Steve Farmer the opener.

Evesham survived injury time pressure in a half they controlled but they lost their way down the slope after the break although Atherstone again rarely troubled Beattie.

The visiting custodian needed to be at his best to smother Leon Doughty's 72nd minute strike and then spread himself well four minutes later to prevent Leon Kelly giving the Adders the lead.

Nine minutes later, Joe Licata, a 70th minute substitute, grabbed the decider.

Hodgetts did well to get in a near post cross and the midfielder was tripped in the box as he prepared to shoot. The resultant spot-kick was put away with great aplomb.

"Is there a policeman outside," boss Mullen questioned as he revealed he felt his side had "nicked the points".

"That's football, though," he continued. We have played sides off the par and lost and it's nice for it to be the other way."