EVESHAM United will head to Hampshire to face AFC Totton on Saturday sitting proudly top of Southern League Division One South following a richly deserved 1-0 victory at Slimbridge on Wednesday.
The Robins were dominant throughout the midweek encounter in Gloucestershire, particularly in the second half, but had to wait until the 80th minute for the breakthrough when Linden Dovey thundered a 20-yard strike into the top corner of the net at Thornhill Park.
Paul Collicutt’s men headed home content with a sparkling display in which only the heroics of Swans keeper Eric Edge denied them a greater winning margin but, ultimately, three points was all that mattered as United moved on to 12 points from five matches.
The visitors were soon into their stride as ex-Slimbridge winger Marley Thomas’ volley forced Edge into a decent stop before Joe Tumelty’s downward header was brilliantly kept out low down by Edge following Steve Davies’ cross.
Slimbridge were not without their moments either though and in between Edji Mbunga fired a whisker past Harvey Rivers’ left-hand post and later in the first half struck the post after a neat one-two with Dean Turner.
However, it was Evesham who looked the most likely to open the scoring and Tumelty almost did once again when his shot from the right-hand edge of the box was deflected on to an upright.
The second half was almost entirely one-way traffic and Tumelty in particular must have thought it was going to be one of those nights when shortly into it his thumping close-range strike was superbly tipped over by Edge.
There was one scare for United when Will Tunnicliff’s mistake was pounced on by Will Hawes but Rivers made himself big and got down well to save the striker’s effort.
Edge made further stops but was finally beaten in emphatic fashion when an Evesham corner was only cleared to Dovey who took aim before netting with a superb strike which sent Evesham players and supporters into raptures.