Evesham Utd 0, Grantham Tn 2

THERE was an air of gloom and despondency around Common Road after Monday's defeat and it's difficult to understand why, writes Mervyn Collins.

Admittedly, four points out of 18 is hardly the best possible start to a first season in the Premier Division and the Bank Holiday display hardly augured well for the future. But, mulling over the whole equation, puts everything into perspective.

Opposing sides this season are a vastly different proposition. They pay out far higher wages than the Evesham players receive and in the case of Martin Carruthers, whose two goals sunk the Robins, are able to attract players of the highest pedigree.

Villifying

There was no disgrace in a fourth defeat of the new campaign, yet supporters were villifying the home side as if they had already written off what promised to be a memorable season.

Dave Busst and Paul West witnessed the efforts of their players from the sidelines and they weren't impressed.

A closed doors meeting after the game gave a clue as to the management team's thoughts but the pair, who have revived the club's fortunes in a little under two years, will rectify the situation and certainly don't need help with the task by ridiculous moans from the paying customers.

True, they didn't get their money's worth on Monday but they saw a visiting side that is likely to be featuring at the top end of the table come April record a far from comfortable win despite United's deficiencies.

Carruthers, who boasts a total of 110 Football League goals from 347 appearances during spells at Aston Villa, Stoke City, Peterborough, Boston, Lincoln and Scun-thorpe, showed the United forwards the way to goal with headers in each half that oozed quality befitting such a journeyman striker.

He opened the scoring after 20 minutes when he outjumped Neil O'Sullivan to superbly guide Richard Weale's cross into the top corner.

The striker's second came on the hour when he again got the better of the a defender, this time Adam Cooper, to stoop low and direct his header past Karl Lewis's left hand and into the corner of the net.

Lewis produced a top stop after 16 minutes to keep out a volley from Adam Sturgess but the Lincolnshire side was in control with only efforts from Jamie Bailey and Steve Duncan threatening to give the home fans a boost.

United did have the better of Town either side of the break but that wasn't enough to impress the manager who made a triple change after 55 minutes with Jae Martin, Richie Robinson and Richard Ball taking over from Bailey, Matty Hall and Grant Pin-kney.

No effect

In truth it had no effect although Duncan saw his 57th minute drive bring Mario Ziccardi to his knees at the foot of a post.

Three minutes later Carru-thers headed in a crucial second and Lewis saved well from Tom Pell before United launched a late rally in the hope of gaining a lifeline.

However, despite two efforts from Duncan and a double blast from Leon Blake in the final five minutes, the hosts were left goalless and pointless over the Bank Holiday weekend leaving Busst and West with plenty to mull over in a bid to put some more points on the board.