MANAGER Shaun Cunnington believes Evesham United are in good shape as the new Calor Southern League Division One South and West season draws ever closer.

There are just nine days to go until the Robins kick off their campaign against Taunton Town at the Jubilee Stadium.

Cunnington, who replaced Paul West in May, retained some of the squad assembled by the previous boss but has also been busy recruiting players during the summer.

The warm-up programme has produced mixed results to date but the ex-West Brom midfielder is happy with the progress.

He was particularly pleased with the performance against Worcester City on Tuesday, despite the visitors winning 1-0.

The Evesham manager said: “We want to entertain people, we want to keep the ball on the deck and pass and play.

“We’ve gone through all of preseason and we’ve certainly given a good account of ourselves against higher-league opposition.

“It stands us in good stead and we’ve just got to carry that on to August 17 for the first game of the season. Worcester are a Conference North side and we were more than a match for them.”

Evesham complete their preseason schedule against Gloucester City at the Jubilee Stadium tomorrow (Friday, 7.30) and Cunnington says there could still be more new faces arriving before the season starts. “To build a side that produces that sort of football in that short space of time I’ve got to be delighted with,” he added.

“We’ve got quite a few players away on holiday as well and a few injuries but on the whole I am delighted with the way things are going at the moment.

“I think in the next two weeks there will be players coming available from higher clubs so if we think they are going to better the squad of players that we’ve got then they’ll come.”

Carl Brown was the pick of the United players against Worcester, going close on several occasions in the second-half.

Evesham United: Bateman, Jackson, Wilson, Richards (Rhodes HT), Sysum, Botfield, Brown, Barnfield (Gould 80), Palmer (John 62), Dovey, Tambling (Rodrigues 62). Subs not used: Clarke, McGee.