TAIL-backs on the M5 delayed the kick-off in Evesham United's FA Cup preliminary round clash with Bideford at Common Road for nearly two hours.

Referee Phil Jones stopped the afternoon degenerating into farce and agreed to start the game at 4.45pm, but Bideford could do little to stop Evesham running out 3-1 winners.

With an unchanged Evesham side attacking from the off, Bideford, of the Screwfix Direct Western League, must have thought things couldn't have got any worse for them, until goalkeeper Mark Coombe limped off with an ankle injury after just ten minutes.

They didn't have a 'keeper on the bench, leaving defender John Wright to take over in goal.

Evesham then dominated most of a less than convincing goalless first half and squandered many chances, of which the best fell to Sam Bowen who blazed over from 12 yards.

The thought of a four-hour midweek trek to Bideford should have been motivation enough for Evesham to dig deep, but, to Bideford's credit, they made them work.

However, on 50 minutes Bowen finally broke the deadlock with a firm header from an Andy Smith cross, his fifth goal in three starts.

Eleven minutes later Steve Taylor's pass deflected into the path of Dean Roberts who beat Wright with ease.

But Bideford weren't done for, and pulled a goal back through Matt Joslin who dispossessed 'keeper Damien Beattie trying to clear his lines on the edge of the box and produced a precise lob from 20 yards.

Evesham then hit the post and bar before wrapping up the win on 90 minutes when Jay Powell headed in unmarked from six yards from a Mark Wolsey corner.

Evesham now visit Gloucester City in the next round on September 16.

Evesham: Beattie 6, Smith 7, Pendleton 7, Rogers 7, Powell 7, Taylor 8, Wolsey 7, McCartan 7, Bowen 7, Roberts 7 (Brown 66, 6), Preedy 9. Subs not used: Parmenter, Licata, Shaw, Twine.

H Star man: Phil Preedy.

Attendance: 135.