Evesham Utd 3, Studley 3 (aet)

Studley win 8-7 on penalties

JUST when you thought things couldn't get any worse, United suffered a repeat of last season's Worcestershire FA Senior Cup defeat, writes Mervyn Collins.

On a night of many ironies, the Bees again won a penalty shoot-out when Anthony Watson became the first of 16 players to miss the target when his spot-kick struck a post.

The defender has been Evesham's best player all season yet Dave Busst's side contrived to lose three goals to their lower league opponents - the first time they had conceded that many since the opening day of the season.

Former Robin Craig Ladek was the Studley goalkeeper who was swarmed upon by his Bees colleagues at the finish, while Andy Smith, a Common Road legend, fired in the sixth goal of the night after 65 minutes to take the tie to overtime.

United looked dead and buried after 40 tortuous Tuesday minutes by which time a penalty from Andrew Johnson and Shane Benjamin's close-range volley had left the hosts with a two-goal margin to make up.

However, three goals in ten minutes either side of half-time - all scored by Richard Ball - looked to have handed under fire manager Busst a boost!

Smith's swerving 25-yarder changed all that as the hosts again lost their rhythm although Grant Pinkney's late half-volley fizzed a yard over with ladek grasping at thin air.

Richard Robinson dragged United's best chance of an extra-time winner wide in the first period but another ex-Evesham player Lee Ross spurned the clearest chance six minutes from time when he headed Smith's cross wide of a gaping goal.

That was two minutes before Matty Hall's introduction was scuppered when it was noticed by yours truly that he wasn't named in the list of substitutes - another howler on what was going to prove a nightmare of a night.

Ross and Smith both netted confidently from 12 yards, while Pinkney, who missed last season, needed the help of a post to open Evesham's account.

Ball then saw his kick saved by Ladek but a referee's assistant adjudged that he had strayed off his line and Ball easily netted second time around.

Adey got a hand to just one Studley spot-kick but it was Watson who didn't find penalty taking that elementary and it just might need Sherlock Holmes to find a swift solution to United's current predicament.