Evesham Utd 0, Gloucester City 0

THIRTEEN proved unlucky for Dave Busst's men at a soggy Common Road on Tuesday night when the home side did just about everything but score, writes Mervyn Collins.

However, it was the seventh time this season that the Robins have drawn a blank so there's no hiding the root cause of Eve-sham's problems at the wrong end of the Premier Division table.

United came closest to breaking the deadlock against their fellow strugglers five minutes from time when Dave Wilkinson got his foot to the ball just as Richard Ball was about to pull the trigger but the defender could only look on with relief as the ball bounced to safety off the top of the crossbar.

Jae Martin, who was preferred to Jermaine Clarke, headed Matty Hall's first minute centre over the top, while the winger forced a save from Matt Bath as Evesham dominated the early stages.

Annoying

However, an annoying habit of wasting set-piece situations nullified some excellent approach play and Evesham were only on level terms at the break courtesy of Dave Adey's magnificent tip over from Richard Kear's 40th minute 20-yarder.

Ball nipped into collect a wayward back pass in stoppage-time but Bath saved the striker's shot at his near post.

The second half produced a far more open game with Busst's men again in command after Adey had held Rich Mansell's early strike from distance.

Leon Blake's driven cross found no one on hand to finish and the home side were again indebted to Adey when Steven hands left a back pass short and Kear was left in the clear.

Bath parried Ball's 54th minute centre before he was joined in attack by Jermaine Clarke who replaced Martin.

Grant Pinkney had earlier replaced a limping Stuart Hamilton and the substitute saw plenty of the ball as United attacked down both flanks.

Again, though, the final ball left a lot to be desired, while three free-kicks just outside the penalty area were hit straight at the wall when, on the greasy surface, surely the goalkeeper should have been made to save!

Clarke's introduction pepped up the attack and he was unfortunate after 68 minutes when his foray forward and cross was diverted dangerously close to his own net by Wilkinson.

When Evesham finally got a dead-ball into the right area Hands headed wide, while provider Gavin O'To-ole's goalbound strike was blocked by a covering defender.

Ball and Clarke combined well only to see Wilkinson be saved by the frame of the goal and there was relief in the home camp two minutes from time when Adey spilled Adie Harris's shot but recovered to grab the ball before it had crossed the line.

Three points were again there for the taking but it wasn't to be on a night when the October weather, like Eve-sham's free-kicks and Worcester's referee David Hine, got worse as the game wore on!

Southern League Premier Division

P W D L F A Pts

Salisbury City 11 8 2 1 22 6 26

Bedford Tn 12 8 0 4 23 17 24

Chippenham 10 7 1 2 18 11 22

King's Lynn 11 6 1 4 18 10 19

Mangotsfield 10 5 4 1 16 9 19

Merthyr Tydfil 9 5 3 1 20 11 18

Grantham Tn 12 5 4 3 15 12 18

Bath City 11 6 1 4 16 10 19

Banbury Utd 10 5 3 2 20 12 18

Halesowen Tn 11 4 5 2 19 13 17

Cirencester Tn 11 5 0 6 9 17 15

Team Bath 11 4 2 5 10 12 14

Chesham Utd 12 4 2 6 13 19 14

Tiverton Tn 10 4 0 6 15 15 12

Aylesbury Utd 9 3 3 3 8 8 12

Cheshunt 11 3 3 5 15 19 12

Hitchin Tn 11 2 4 5 12 20 10

Yate Tn 12 3 1 8 13 31 10

Rugby Tn 10 2 3 5 18 23 9

Gloucester City 12 2 3 7 16 21 9

Evesham Utd 11 2 3 6 9 15 9

Northwood 11 1 2 7 12 26 5