Star striker quits to join Worcester
4:25pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008
RECENTLY-appointed club captain Mark Owen has left Evesham United to rejoin former club Worceester City.
The striker, top scorer in United's championship-winning side last season, was pulled out of training on Monday night after Paul West received a call from City boss Richard Dryden.
West's priority will now be to sign a replacement and Jermaine Clarke could be the man to fill the void.
"Jermaine trained with us again last night and I am hoping he will be in the side tomorrow providing clearance comes through from the League of Wales," the Evesham boss declared.
"It won't be easy replacing someone of Mark's ability but I will be thinking positively about it and hope to sort something out very soon."
West will be making plenty of phone calls in his pursuit of a replacement with the likes of Worcester's Troy Wood, Rory May, who had a spell at City last term, and former Alvechurch striker Keith Rostill a few names on the United manager's shopping list.
A couple of friendly matches in the space of four days will give West a far better indication of how ready his players are for the new Southern League season's tough challenge.
The Robins have been impressive in recording a brace of 5-0 wins over Pershore Town and Malvern Town but matches at Willenhall tomorrow night (7.45) and Bromsgrove on Tuesday (7.30) will prove much harder tests.
West used 21 players at Malvern last weekend and only goalkeeper Dave Adey played the entire match that the Robins dominated throughout.
Adey was forced into a couple of fine first-half blocks from Darran Andrews and a second-half stop from Joe Kings but it was opposite number Craig Humphries who was by far the busier keeper.
The keeper was helpess to prevent Danny Scheppel superbly volleying Simon Fitter's cross after 14 minutes and Humphries was again exposed nine minutes later when Daniel Lennon looped Gary Hay's cross into the back of the net.
The provider failed to register and wasted a couple of chances but again he looked extremely sharp and linked up well with the lively Lennon.
Danny Hodnett and Steve Lutz, like Scheppel, both played their first matches while Owen was a half-time substitute alongside newcomer from Romulus Michael Batchelor.
Hay and another interval replacement Michael Hayden should have added to the lead before substitute Leon Woodley linked up well with Liam McDonald to make it 3-0 after 67 minutes.
Scheppel's persistence forced an own goal from Jay Thomas four minutes later and the scoring was complete 15 minutes from time when impressive defender Batchelor powered in a header from a corner.
The visitors again looked to knock the ball about on the floor and did so with great vigour but in the knowledge that tougher tests lie ahead.
After two more away warm-ups, United will play host to Conference outfit Forest Green Rovers at St George's Lane on Saturday, August 2 (3).
Seven days later, after another couple of tough training sessions in Redditch, West takes his sisde to Bedworth United for a final friendly ahead of the start of the new campaign.
Evesham will be hoping to emulate Bromsgrove who won convincingly at Bedford on the opening day of last season but will be hoping not to suffer the same relegation fate as their Worcestershire rivals.