Evesham Utd 0

Didcot Tn 1 (John 82)

A stunning late goal from Philip John gave Didcot a vital victory in their relegation battle on Saturday.

It was the first time the Railwaymen had kept a clean-sheet away from home all season.

And the three points help them move two places up the Premier Division table into 16th position, three clear of the danger zone.

Chances were at a premium in a forgettable first half.

Didcot managed to carve open the game’s first opportunities, but Michael Bartley, and then Mark Draycott, both had shots comfortably saved by Nathan Vaughan.

Evesham began to exert some territorial pressure, without troubling Didcot keeper Matt Trott.

Whatever the respective managers said to their players at the break seemed to work because both sides were far more creative in the second half.

Evesham had a great chance to open the scoring.

Striker Marcus Palmer was put through on goal only to be hacked down Martin Brown just outside the penalty area.

To the fury of the Didcot players and management, referee Kevin Morris pointed to the spot.

After the protests had subsided, the resulting penalty was a weak one from Mark Hands and Trott blocked it.

It got even worse for Hands, because he then fluffed a simple tap-in from the follow-up.

Evesham looked to have finally broken the deadlock but Palmer’s shot thudded against the bar.

Didcot changed their formation, reverting to a four-man midfield.

The momentum had swung firmly in favour of the Railwaymen, and Draycott almost forced the ball over the goal-line after John had swung a dangerous free-kick into the six-yard box.

Then, with eight minutes remaining, Ian Sampson’s surging run ended with a neat pass to John 25 yards from the Evesham goal.

John’s first touch was perfect and he then unleashed an unstoppable left-foot shot past the despairing dive of Vaughan and into the bottom corner of the net.

Didcot Tn: Trott, Sampson, Tabor, A Williams, Brown (Dutton-Black 69) Stanley, John, Alexis (Mortimer-Jones 81) Bartley, Draycott, Heapy Subs not used: Hopkins, M Williams

Attendance: 136.