Football
Pre-season is encouraging for United

Buy photos » United defender Tesfa Robinson gets stuck in against Cheltenham. Picture by Michael Pitts. (s)

EVESHAM UNITED bagged their first win of the pre-season campaign with a resounding 6-1 success at West Midlands Premier Division outfit Malvern Town on Tuesday.

Matt Clarke's squad has looked in good nick ahead of the new campaign and last Thursday held League One's Shrewsbury Town to a 0-0 draw at the Jubilee Stadium before following it up with a 1-1 home draw against League Two's Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

United controlled Tuesday's encounter from the start and raced into a 3-0 lead inside half an hour as player coach Neil MacKenzie got the ball rolling in the tenth minute when his free kick - awarded for a foul on Luke Corbett just outside the box - slipped through the grasp of Town keeper Ian Hill.

Hill was then at fault for the Robins' second goal eight minutes later when he dropped Leigh Downing's corner at the feet of Roland Agbor who lashed the ball home from close range.

Agbor then turned provider when he crossed to Pav Gierdl who tapped in from close range in the 24th minute.

The visitors struck again shortly before the break when the impressive Downing got on the end of Corbett's inch-perfect pass to fire an unstoppable drive past the advancing Hill.

Six minutes into the second half Agbor got his second and Evesham's fifth when he cut in from the left and beat two Town defenders before finding the bottom corner.

The visitors' sixth came from Marcus Palmer who produced a neat turn before finishing well after good work by the tricky Agbor.

Malvern never gave up and Lewis Loader's well struck drive gave them a consolation goal before Palmer fired against the post at the other end.

A bumper crowd of 657 watched Saturday's clash against Cheltenham, who fielded a different 11 in each half.

The visitors bossed the early possession and Evesham keeper Dean Coleman, a summer recruit from Redditch United, was forced into a full stretch save at the foot of his post to deny Sam Deering.

At the other end Henry Eze headed just over from Agbor's cross, before the second half began with Coleman making fine saves to thwart Kaid Mohamed and Daryl Duffy.

However, it was the hosts who took a 51st minute lead when Agbor got the better of Keith Lowe down the left and from his cross Colin Hamilton could only head into his own net.

Coleman then produced a superb double save to deny Duffy and Jeff Goulding before Evesham had a golden chance to double their lead in the 68th minute from the penalty spot.

However, Town keeper Phil Smith saved Corbett's spot kick, awarded after Lowe had pulled down Palmer.

Cheltenham drew level 11 minutes from time when Tris Plummer fired across substitute keeper Nick Thomas into the far corner.

Against Shrewsbury, the Robins were missing a host of new signings but still matched the visitors, who had a good first half chance through Marvin Morgan, but he fired just wide from Joe Jacobson's inch-perfect cross.

Evesham's Pedram Ardallany then found Eze at the back post from a corner but the latter headed wide.

In the second half Evesham keeper Thomas saved well from Jon Taylor, but could only stand and watch Jacobson strike the crossbar from distance.

United's Simeon Tulloch got round the Shrews' back four only to drag his effort wide before at the other end Thomas bravely smothered at the feet of Tom Bradshaw to deny the visitors a winner.

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