Junior Football

PERSHORE had all of the early play but Clines made a number of good saves.

Eventually the pressure paid off on 17 minutes. Clines pulled off a good save only to see Barnett score with the follow-up.

Three minutes later another goalmouth scramble saw Clines make a great reaction save.

Morris got the better of Pershore’s Wall on numerous occasions, and then he won a foot race with McIlvenny to thwart another attack.

On 22 minutes Clines paid for his bravery with an injury to his arm and had to go off.

On 32 minutes another goalmouth scramble was eventually turned in by Wall for a 2-0 lead.

McIlvenny found himself clean through on 38 minutes but his shot was pushed over the bar, keeping the score 2-0 at half-time.

In the second-half, Crowle tried to get their passing game going.

Roberts, Dowdeswell and Hine tackled hard at the back and Coleman, Mitchell and Stock linked up well but could not get past Shepherd.

Tireless tackling by this midfield trio kept Pershore’s attack at bay until the 76th minute when Wall made a break.

Tracking back, Dowdeswell conceded a penalty which Barnett stepped up to take but his effort was saved by Goode, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Wall had another one-on-one chance late on but found the side netting.

A good second-half performance by Crowle frustrated Pershore, who could not extend their lead.

A game of contrasting styles with Crowle trying to play the ball on the ground and Pershore in the air, superior height and strength paid off this time.

Fintan u12s 0, Evesham United Robins u12s 5.

EVESHAM played with the wind behind them in the first-half and made the most of it. From the start, Evesham were the stronger team with Johnathon Robinson beating the keeper one-on-one for an early lead.

A ball from James Noble put Dominic Taylor through and he chipped the keeper to make it 2-0. Robinson soon made it 3-0 with a nice finish after a pass from Ryan Reeves. Ben Ainsworth scored from a corner by Bradley Izod just before half-time to make it 4-0.

After the break, Fintan came into the game and Edward Bagley and Jack Starkey were on fine form in keeping Fintan at bay. Keeper Josh Rogers, made a great save to stop Fintan scoring and was called upon again late on. Great work from Jack Rogers and Thomas Backx resulted in Robinson completing his hat-trick and a 5-0 scoreline.

Tewkesbury Colts u13s 1, Sheppey Swifts u13s 1.

THIS keenly-contested Evesham Ambassador League clash took until the second-half to burst into life.

Both sides huffed and puffed but failed to break down their opponents’ well-drilled defence in which Sheppey’s Max Lowe, Harry Bermingham and Joe Sandham in form.

Tewkesbury’s best efforts came from Callum Hooke, who shot just wide from the edge of the box, and a Jamie Parke header which was saved by keeper Josh Rogers.

Sheppey’s Brent McOrmish saw a header drift over the bar and just before the break, Ollie Brothwood pushed a 25-yard free-kick wide.

But four minutes after the re-start, Tewkesbury went ahead.

Sheppey’s defence hesitated when the ball was swung into the box and Hooke pounced to bundle the ball over the line.

The goal spurred on the home side and a minute later striker Kieran Dyson almost doubled the advantage, but his shot from the edge of the box went just wide.

Sheppey replied with a number of quick counter-attacks. First, Brothwood’s effort was deflected wide after an exchange of passes by the lively Dan Tustin and Sam Brookes.

Then Zak Ambrose fed Dan Evans who saw his shot parried wide by Colts’ keeper Freddie Downes.

The Sheppey equaliser came midway through the half. Evans beat two defenders on the right before delivering a cross which keeper Downes did well to get his fingertips to.

The ball fell to Tustin who teed up Brothwood to fire home from just inside the area.

Sheppey were in the ascendency with forwards Brothwood and Evans proving a handful, but the Colts’ defence stood firm and a counter-attacking run by Hooke saw the ball pushed to Dyson who shot just over the bar.

With time running out it took a save by Sheppey’s Rogers to keep the scores level, pushing a powerful volley from Toby Walker round the post.

Westbury Celtic Juniors u11s 0, Evesham United Juniors u11s 8.

EVESHAM United Juniors have got off to a flying start in their first season in Mercian Division One, having been promoted as Division Two champions last season.

They kicked off their season with a comfortable 3-0 home win against Droitwich Spa Predators with man-of-the-match Will McGarr opening the scoring at the back post from a Charlie Smith throw-in.

This was followed by a brace from Edward Whittaker, who was found by James Morrow. Their next match took them to Droitwich to play Westbury Celtic Juniors and it was Evesham who started the match much the sharper with Smith and Sam Whyley controlling the midfield.

Edward Whittaker opened the scoring following up after the Celtic keeper spilled a Morrow shot.

Once the first goal went in Celtic retreated into their shells and Evesham moved up a gear so as a contest the game was over by half-time as Evesham racked up three more goals through Whyley, Morrow and Whittaker.

In the second-half Evesham’s Whittaker scored twice after great work from Smith for the first and Whyley for the second.

Man-of-the-match Bassi also scored twice, one a long-range shot and the second a thundering header from a well-worked corner. Such was Evesham’s domination that goalkeeper Matty Meynell swapped positions with defender Will McGarr to play out for the last 10 minutes.

The Juniors are still looking for players. For more information, call manager Martin Whittaker on 07801 625405.