Match Report: Evesham United 0-4 Halesowen Town
Saturday 24th October 2026 – Isuzu FA Trophy 1st Round
Evesham United suffered their sixth consecutive defeat on Saturday, losing 4–0 to Southern League Premier Central side Halesowen Town. The Robins were well beaten on a wet and windswept afternoon at the Spiers and Hartwell Stadium.
With the wind behind them, the Yeltz started brightly. In the 7th minute, Matt Preston found Dan Meredith on the right, and the full-back played the ball forward to Samson Hewett. Hewett’s attempted cross to Jason Cowley struck the post.
Five minutes later, Vanylson Silva carried the ball down the left before passing inside to Milan Butterfield, whose 30-yard effort went just over the crossbar. Soon afterwards, Hewett was brought down by Josh McConnell, but the resulting free kick went straight into the Evesham wall.
Halesowen continued to dominate. Cowley dribbled to the byline and crossed for Todd Parker on the edge of the box, but Parker’s shot spun wide.
Evesham’s first effort on goal came in the 27th minute. Aaron Heap drove through midfield as the defence backed off, but his shot went straight at former Robin Dan Platt in the visitors’ goal.
On the half-hour, Hewett was brought down just outside the area. Cowley’s free kick deflected off the wall and went just over the bar.
The gusting wind made Brendan Beard’s goal-kicks difficult. One caught in the wind was sliced out for a corner, from which Jim Kellerman’s delivery was almost headed in by Preston.
Despite spending much of the half defending, Evesham had a good chance in the 38th minute. Kai Churchley’s corner glanced off Ryan Wynter’s head into the centre of the area, where a subsequent shot was blocked on the line by Silva.
Halesowen took a deserved lead three minutes before the break. Hewett’s corner fell kindly to Cowley in the box, and he finished at the near post.
The visitors doubled their lead a couple of minutes later, Butterfield beating Beard with a long-range strike into the bottom right-hand corner.
Those two late goals gave Halesowen a 2–0 lead at half-time.
After a quiet start to the second half, Halesowen put the game beyond Evesham in the 53rd minute. Hewitt played the ball out to Cassidy on the right, and Silva rose above his marker to head Cassidy’s cross into the net.
The Yeltz added a fourth just after the hour mark. Silva met another Cassidy cross with a header that Beard saved, but the rebound fell kindly for Silva, who poked home.
Despite having the conditions in their favour, Evesham created little in the second half. In the 79th minute, Churchley found Liam Hutt out wide on the right. Hutt laid the ball back to Josh Barlow, whose cross was claimed by Platt.
Halesowen almost added a fifth in the 85th minute. Silva latched onto a ball, but Beard saved well with his legs.
In the second minute of injury time, Ioan Richards passed to substitute Antony McCormick, whose long-range effort was comfortably gathered by Platt.
Evesham will need to regroup before Saturday’s home league game against Bracknell Town, when their cup-tied players will be available again.
ROBINS STARTING X1:
1 Brendan Beard (GK), 2 Liam Hutt, 4 Josh Barlow, 6 Ioan Richards (C), 7 Aaron Heap (81′ 21 Rhys Warner), 8 Josh McConnell, 9 Kai Churchley, 11 Brandon Liggett, 16 Rocco Sughayer (63′ 5 Antony McCormick), 19 Michael Meadows (46′ 3 Owen Foye), 20 Sopuru Obieri (63′ 18 Daniel Hanson)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES:
13 Oscar Varney (GK)
ATTENDANCE: 365
Match Report: Simon Purfield
Photos: Emily Cook
