Evo-Stik Southern League West
Cirencester Town 0
Evesham United 1
CIRENCESTER Town survived an early onslaught from an impressive Evesham United only to be undone by a single set-piece goal from Leroy Odiero soon after the break.

Ciren made two changes to the side that had put up their best display of the campaign in the 3-0 win at Paulton on Saturday, with Michael Pook returning to midfield and James Mortimer-Jones switching to cover for the absent Aidan Bennett at left back.

Paul Collicutt's ultra-strong Evesham squad included a number of former Centurions, notably Ciren's club captain last season Mat Liddiard who played at centre back.

Evesham had come with positive intent and swarmed over Ciren in a breathless opening 20 minutes. But to their credit Ciren kept the Robins at bay; Pook was excellent, Jordan Stoddart and Mason Lewis kept up their good work from last weekend and keeper Matt Wieczorek was not for beating.

The hosts posed plenty of attacking threat themselves with Ben Whitehead putting the best chance of the half just wide while Felipe Barcelos, who had started in a lively fashion only to fade, was denied by a brilliant diving block from Liddiard.

Having defended so well for 45 minutes Town boss Charlie Griffin will have been unhappy that the towering Odiero was allowed to plant a header in the back of the net from a 48th minute corner.

Ciren could have crumbled against such a relentless force, for whom Bradley Gray’s set pieces were always on the money and Archie Haskayne was a hive of industry throughout.

They needed Whitehead to find the target with his 51st minute header from a Henry Spalding cross instead of putting it over the bar.

In a second half that boasted far less incident than the supremely entertaining first, Wieczorek kept his side alive with a superb save from Carl Brown that the former Ciren man thought for all the world had found the corner.

Given that lifeline Ciren worked up a head of steam in the final five minutes but Evesham resisted the late rally to deservedly leave with the points.

Cirencester Town: Wieczorek, Christopher, Mortimer-Jones, Pook (Walsh, 81), Lewis, Stoddart, Loader (Horrell, 68), Connolly, Whitehead, Barcelos (Watts, 80), Spalding.