10-Man Farm defy the odds as Evesham pay the penalty in the FA Trophy, writes Jack Davies.
Both sides entered the match in fine form, having learnt valuable lessons from their previous encounter on this very ground just a month ago. It was an open contest from the outset, with early chances for both teams. Farm’s in-form striker Louis Britton came close, heading just wide from a Mason Winter cross, while Evesham’s wide man Ethan Moran was brilliantly denied by Seth Locke.
The drama truly unfolded towards the end of the first half, as Farm experienced both despair and jubilation in quick succession. Just a minute after Aron Robbins was shown a red card for a late challenge, the 10-man Farm side took a shock lead. A moment of hesitation in the Evesham defence allowed Britton to nip in between the centre-back and goalkeeper, calmly rolling the ball into an empty net.

Evesham piled on the pressure in the second half as they sought to extend their cup run. Early efforts from Moran and Steele drifted just wide of the mark. Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute, when Josh Barlow met a dropping ball and volleyed it emphatically into the top corner from outside the box to equalise.
It seemed as though Evesham would push on for a winner, but Farm had other ideas, retaking the lead just a few minutes later. George Dowling strode forward and unleashed a powerful drive from distance, finding the corner for his second goal in as many games. However, the goal of the game competition was not yet over, as the hosts equalised once again. Toby Raison found space outside the area and delivered a stunning strike to level the match at 2-2, sending the tie to a penalty shootout.
The shootout began with five successful spot-kicks before Evesham faltered, missing their third, giving Farm the advantage. As the pressure mounted, Mason Winter coolly stepped up to join George Dowling, Dylan Tate, Harry Lucas, and Josh Bissett in making it a perfect five from five, sealing Farm’s passage to the next round.