Didcot Town 0

Evesham Tn 2 (Lutz 36, Clarke 38)

Ian Sampson was sent off as Didcot’s stuttering home form, just one win in seven Premier Division matches at the Loop Meadow, continued with a reverse against fellow strugglers Evesham in a bad-tempered game on Saturday in the Zamaretto Southern league.

The game was only a minute old when Evesham striker Michael Haydon was stretch-ered-off with a facial injury.

While it was an accidental clash with visiting goalkeeper Matt Trott, it set the scene for a number of niggling incidents which boiled over with the sending-off of Sampson in the second half.

Early on, Evesham’s Steve Lutz crashed a point-blank shot onto the inside of post and the ball bounced along the goal-line, while at the other end, Samspon was denied only by the fingertips of the Evesham keeper and the crossbar.

The crucial spell came ten minutes before the break when Evesham scored two goals in a minute.

Lutz broke the deadlock with a smart finish from outside the box.

The home side were still smarting when Jermaine Clarke, looking suspiciously offside, burst clear down the right flank and finished smartly beyond Trott to make it 2-0.

They were Evesham’s first league goals for more than a month.

Didcot’s Mark Draycott miskicked with the goal at his mercy, while referee Nigel Field ruled out a Michael Bartley effort for a foul on the keeper.

The hosts missed further chances through James Mortimer-Jones, Bartley and Sampson early in the second half.

Midway through the half, Sampson and Michael Hands went in for a challenge which left the Evesham striker clutching his leg and Sampson protesting the tackle had been poorly timed by both players.

As tempers threatened to boil over, the referee further endeared himself to the home support by brandishing a red card to Sampson, while Hands went unpunished.

Evesham held out with few further scares to claim a vital win in their battle to beat the drop.

Didcot: Trott, Heapy, Hopkins (Jack 45),Mortimer-Jones, Brown (Hector 74), Stanley, Sampson, Tabor (M Williams 45), Bartley, Draycott, John.

Attendance: 230.