Sat 1 Feb 2025
Alcester lost their unbeaten home record this season, to their well drilled neighbours, who won at Kings Coughton for the second successive season with a strong performance, leaving observers wondering why they are not challenging towards the top of the league table.
Playing up the slope in the first half, Alcester started well and scored first when lock Louis Smith crashed over after a sustained period of pressure. Full back Tom Burgess added the conversion.
Evesham got into the game and they scored their first try midway through the half through their impressive loose head prop, his first of a hat trick of scores in the game.
Just before the half an hour mark, Evesham added a penalty to lead for the first time in the game, which was the final score of the half leaving the visitors ahead 8-7 at the break, although there was still time for a visiting player to be yellow carded.
The visitors noticeably upped their game in the second half, particularly at the breakdown, were they outmuscled Alcester on a number of occasions throughout the half. After going close to adding to their score, they did score their second try fifteen minutes in, which was converted.
Alcester made three changes in quick succession, one of which was forced because of an injury to centre Oscar Holland, but the changes, coupled with another yellow card for the visitors, galvanised Alcester, and less than ten minutes after joining the play as a substitute, James Lampitt forced his way over out wide to bring the score back to 12-15.
To their credit, the visitors, now restored to full strength, quickly nullified the Alcester fight back and they scored two more tries in the final fifteen minutes of the game to claim a deserved try bonus point win.
Alcester will hope for better when league leaders Luctonians 2nds XV are the visitors to Kings Coughton on Saturday for a 2.15pm kick off.
