TWO goals by Luke Benbow denied Evesham United victory in their penultimate pre-season friendly.

Lance Smith gave United the lead just past the hour mark only for the experienced Benbow to strike twice late on to hand the Glassboys a 2-1 win at the Jubilee Stadium.

United were without a long list of absentees but included midfielder Brad Williams, who spent last season with National League South side Bath City.

The first half was mostly uneventful with goalmouth action and clear-cut chances few and far between.

Stourbridge, however, did threaten approaching half-time when keeper Kevin Sawyer tipped over Jack Duggan's header and then Joe Hull flashed a header across the face of goal following skipper Tom Tonks' free-kick.

The tempo of the game increased after the interval with Sawyer producing a brilliant save to keep out the speedy Chris Lait.

Nick Stanley replied for the Robins, flashing a drive inches wide, and then Hull and keeper Matthew Gould snuffed out the danger after Smith showed good skills to create an opening on the edge of the box.

The hard-working Smith edged United in front on 64 minutes, latching on to Paul Fahy's flick-on before beating Gould with a shot that squirmed out of the keeper's grasp and rolled into an empty net.

Higher-graded Stourbridge responded to Gould's error by equalising in the 73rd minute, courtesy of Benbow`s close-range header after Lewis Probert's thunderous drive had come back off the crossbar.

Probert was then guilty of a glaring miss at the back post before Benbow found the target for a second time to win the game with two minutes to go.

Jack Heath's free-kick into the box was headed down by Duggan to the unmarked Benbow, who coolly rounded Sawyer before finding the net.

Evesham: Sawyer, Dovey, Stanley, Turley, Sysum (Pearson 50), Sheehan, Kennedy, Williams (Brown 45), Smith (Gilder 79), Fahy, Binns (Prictor 64).

Attendance: 147.