Football
Robins Review - Delight as players bounce back from setback

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Evesham United player coach Neil Mackenzie writes for the Observer

I HAVE to say it has been a week of contrasting emotions so far, with the massive disappointment of losing our unbeaten home record against league leaders Poole Town on Saturday and then the excellent away victory at second placed Cirencester on Tuesday.

Starting with Poole who, it has to be said, on the evidence of what I have seen so far in this league are worthy favourites.

We were well aware on Saturday that if we could get maximum points against a team who were unbeaten and had won five and drew one so far and sat clear at the top of the table, it would send a big message out that we are a force to be reckoned with.

However, the first half performance cost us dearly, although in general play the game was evenly matched and you could argue we were slightly the better side, but the facts are you cannot give any team at any level a three-goal start and expect to win the game.

In fairness to the lads, we came back very strongly in the second half and made a game of it, scoring two in five minutes, and big Henry (Eze) nearly levelled it at the death but his header was disallowed for a push. We sat in the dressing room knowing it was a big opportunity gone begging.

With respect to Poole, they are a good side, the best we have played and have the biggest budget in our league, but we still feel we could have got something from the game and felt we gifted them their three-goal start, but good teams punish you and they did that so it is a learning curve for us and a marker to where we need to be if we want to push on as a group.

After this result we knew Tuesday's game was vital and, as it turned out, it was probably our best all-round performance so far against a Cirencester team who were on a very good run of form themselves.

We blew them away with our passing and movement at times and the 3-1 scoreline was just rewards for a big effort from the players who responded to the Poole defeat exactly as we would have hoped.

On a personal note, it was great to get back in the side after what has been a stop-start season so far, and a mention also to a couple of new arrivals at the club who have settled in really well.

Gavin Hurren has come in and been calmness personified at centre half and on Tuesday made the game look easy with his assured display.

I know 'Trigger' well from my time with him at Tamworth and he is an infectious character who is great for the dressing room morale also, so hopefully his initial loan from Solihull Moors can become a permanent move.

Elsewhere, we have signed Liam Hughes - a centre forward with a good pedigree - who got off to a tremendous start on Tuesday with a goal and a good all-round performance. Although he tired late on, once fully fit he could be a massive addition to our team and turn out to be the missing link we need and form a formidable partnership with Marcus Palmer, who is banging goals in for us at present.

Last but not least, David Kalonji has also signed on loan from Solihull Moors at right back and has been superb in his first two games so, with the new lads coming in and doing so well, the squad now has some real strength about it and we now feel we can go on a run and get our position in that top six cemented.

Up the Robins!

Macca

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