Match Preview

On Saturday Bideford will make the 300 mile round trip to face Evesham United in the first of their two Bank Holiday weekend fixtures.

Evesham United will provide tough opposition having finished 6th last season in Division One, just missing out on a play off spot, while in 2014/15 they were runners up but lost out to Larkhall Athletic in the play offs. Their start to this season has been similar to ours with two wins, two draws and one defeat so far. They came very close to getting what would have been a creditable draw away to Salisbury on the opening day but went down to an 86th minute winner. Since then their first win of the season over Wimborne Town was sandwiched between draws with Didcot Town and Wantage Town. Last week they secured a safe passage through to the 1st Qualifying Round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win at Market Drayton. Bideford will need to be wary of danger man Adam Mann who netted 31 times for Evesham last season.

Formed in 1945, Evesham United spent the majority of their first forty competitive years in the Worcestershire Combination League (later renamed the Midland Combination League) where they were champions on six occasions. In 1992/93 Evesham joined the Southern League Midland Division where they played until winning promotion to the Premier Division in 2005 before being relegated after one season. In 2008/09 Evesham were crowned champions of Division One Midland Division and spent a further four years at Premier Division level but were relegated to Division One South & West in 2012. 2016/17 marks Evesham's 25th season as a Southern League club. Like ourselves and Bridgwater Town, Evesham are nicknamed "The Robins".

Bideford have only met Evesham United once before back in the Preliminary Round of the 2000/01 FA Cup, which Evesham won 3-1 at their old ground Common Road.

Sean Joyce was hoping his Bideford side would be well rested ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend fixtures but last Saturday's draw with Bodmin Town meant a Wednesday night trip to Cornwall for a replay. Bideford eventually overcame the plucky South West Peninsula Champions with late goals from James Richards and Billy Tucker but also saw Matt Andrew and Dan Harrison sent off for two bookable offences. Both will however be available for the weekend fixtures as will Sean Downing who made his return on Wednesday night at Priory Park. Paul Hider is expected to be back in goal after a bout of illness while Kevin Squire and Sam Stephens should also be back in contention after missing the midweek cup tie.

Evesham United
The Spiers & Hartwell Jubilee Stadium
Cheltenham Road
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 2LZ
Tel: 01386 442303
Website: http://www.eveshamunitedfc.com
Twitter: @EveshamUnitedFC