GEORGE Washbourne was the match winner for play-off chasing Evesham in a one-sided victory at Silverlake Arena in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West.

Washbourne struck in first-half stoppage-time as Evesham secured another win and now Paul Collicutt’s side have lost just once in 16 matches.

The margin of Evesham’s victory would have been much greater had it not been for the heroics of the Southampton club’s goalkeeper Matt Brown.

Brown pulled off a string of top-class saves to keep United’s forwards at bay.

Once again, Evesham could name only three substitutes on the bench with Lewis Binns, Linden Dovey, Carl Brown and Lance Smith, last season’s leading marksman, all absent.

Sholing were pegged back straight from the kick-off and Brown was soon called into action and made an excellent point-blank stop to keep out an effort from Sean Wood.

Robins’ skipper Matt Sysum directed a free-kick narrowly wide of the target and then Nick Stanley was inches away after being set up by Adam Mann.

Brown then produced two superb stops in quick succession, tipping over goal-bound strikes from Mann and Ashley Edenborough.

The alert Edenborough then had an effort chalked off when Brown fumbled in the six-yard box but the forward was adjudged to have taken the ball out of the stopper’s grasp.

Evesham goalkeeper Kevin Sawyer, who was a spectator for most of the first-half, then made two decent saves when Nick Watts fired in a couple of breakaway shots.

But, with the half-time whistle approaching, Washbourne collected the ball down the right and cut inside before sending an unstoppable drive into the top corner.

United’s relentless pressure continued in the second period with the Sholing defence struggling to cope with Evesham’s attacking prowess.

Wood was a coat of paint away from doubling Evesham’s lead when his effort sailed past Brown but crashed against a post.

Evesham: Sawyer, Wood, Wellon (Slack 22), Wilson, Sysum, Harding, Washbourne, Stanley, Edenborough (Kennedy 81), Mann, Lee Smith. Sub not used: Knowles.

Attendance: 119.