MANN LEADS BY EXAMPLE
ADAM Mann delivered a captain’s performance as his double helped move
Evesham United into the play-offs with a 3-0 victory over Bideford.
Mann’s first came in the 28th minute and was a neat finish after he latched onto a long ball.
Three minutes later it was 2-0 and it was the unfortunate Craig Allen who put through his own net.
Garyn Preen’s tantalising cross was pushed out by goalkeeper Steve Oliver and ricocheted off the defender and into the empty net.
United started the day four points ahead of the Robins and confirmed their dominance with a third goal nine minutes into the second half – and it was Mann yet again.
A long clearance from Kevin Sawyer found Carl Brown on the wing before his inch-perfect cross found Mann, who fired home.
The comfortable victory at Jubilee Stadium lifts Paul Collicutt’s side into fifth as the scrap for promotion intensifies.
Heading into Easter Saturday just seven points separated Cirencester Town in tenth from Swindon Supermarine in third.
Elsewhere, four first-half strikes helped Bristol Manor Farm move into third place as they trounced promotion rivals Wimborne Town 4-1.
Steve Kingdon got the scoring underway in the 11th minute as he powered a header home from a Jordan Metters corner.
Metters continued to supply and his superb lobbed through ball on 19 minutes found Corey Simpson, who fired his effort past Gerard Benfield.
Simpson went close again on the half-hour but his right-foot shot following a good run whistled narrowly over the upright.
A minute later Jamie Turner found the space to head Farm into a 3-0 lead from another Metters corner.
Manor Farm put the game beyond Wimborne’s reach on 33 minutes when Troy Simpson worked hard to win the ball on the right before opening up the defence with a lofted ball to the far post where his brother Corey was on hand to tap in his second goal of the game.
Tobias Holmes pulled back a goal for the visitors on 43 minutes when his low shot cannoned in off the underside of Ashley Clarke as the keeper dived to block his shot.
The home side comfortably saw out a second half notable for a splendid save by Clarke, tipping over a 30-yard piledriver of a free-kick by Billy Maybury.
The emphatic result puts Farm eight points behind secondplaced Salisbury with seven games remaining.
Didcot are another side still harbouring hopes of making the top six but those dreams were dealt a huge blow as they drew 1-1 with struggling Cinderford Town.
The Railwaymen gave themselves a mountain to climb when Callum McNish received a straight red card for a reaction to a challenge at the start of the second half.
Nevertheless, the home side pushed for the opening goal and were rewarded as George Reid’s right-footed effort went in off the post.
The hosts defended for their lives but Cinderford equalised as Richard Graves nodded home.
North Leigh’s trip to Barnstaple Town, Bishops Cleeve against Paulton Rovers, Slimbridge against Larkhall and Winchester City’s home
tie against Cirencester were all postponed.