Mitres one step closer

The Mitres played their final match at Evesham United's ground in what was a top versus bottom clash. The hosts managed to take the lead early on when Jordan Annear, returning to the lineup after a couple of matches, fired in the cross for Jack Watts to compose himself and score his 30th competitive goal of the season, a feat he achieved in his last season for Cleeve in the curtailed 2019-20 season.

Hallen then saw claims for a penalty for handball waved away when Jordan Ricketts' shot hit a Cleeve player in the box in a rare first half attack for the visitors.

Steve Davies then fired just wide before later on his whipped cross was glanced wide by Annear as Cleeve looked to grab control of the match with Linden Dovey also taking aim, firing a left footed piledriver just over.

Cleeve did double their lead on the half hour mark when on the left edge of the box, Sam Blackie received the ball and turned to slide in Joe Selma who blasted the ball past the 'keeper. Then, straight from the restart, Blaine Waugh was fed through down the right and his cross found Annear who looked certain to score from 15 yards out from the centre of the goal but he was bundled over with Cleeve this time feeling aggrieved that they didn't have a penalty. Watts and Selman had chances to add to the lead before half time but it stayed 2-0 at the break.

Now 2-0 leads are always tricky to navigate, just think back to Tuffley away in January, so Cleeve would have wanted another goal to kill the tie off and they got it 4 minutes after the restart when Annear's flicked header fell into the path of Watts who made no mistake to get his second of the afternoon.

Waugh then had a great chance to make it 4 when Selman's cross found him running in unmarked at the far post, however Harry Thomas-Barker in the Hallen goal did well to get across and tip the ball wide.

This seemed to spark Hallen into life and just a few minutes later a good ball forward found Leo Elgin and despite Will Turner's best tackling efforts, the ball trickled past him and Luke Merchant to nestle into the goal off the upright to give Hallen a glimmer of hope in the match.

The following quarter of an hour was then tough for Cleeve as they struggled to retain the ball and Hallen were pushing forward to halve the deficit. Cleeve did however regain control of the match and with 5 minutes to go the two subs Kieran Alder and Jake Rhodes combined for the latter to score his 9th goal of the season and ensure Cleeve finished their spell at Evesham United's ground unbeaten.

Cleeve's next match is due to be back at Kayte Lane on the 19th when we host Hereford Lads Club. It could prove to be an extra special day for the club as not only will it be the first match on the new 3G pitch, we could seal our first ever step 5 title and first silverware since 1988 if we win and results elsewhere go our way.