Match Report
Yate Town 3 Evesham United 0
Jackson (40, 48), Zebroski (pen 88)
Southern League Premier Division South
Monday 6th April 2026
Yate Town continued their recent impressive form, on a sunny Easter Monday afternoon, at the South West Interiors Stadium. These two teams were promoted at the end of last season and the Bluebells were in command for much of the match as they leapfrogged their opponents in the table to move a step closer to safety.
Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, using his squad over this Easter period, and following the 2-2 draw at Chertsey on Good Friday, brought in Marlon Jackson in place of Chris Zebroski. Dan Ball and Alex Monks both started with Omar Taylor-Clarke and Dani Gonzalez-Birchall on the bench.
Yate Town set the early tempo and a cross from the left by Marlon Jackson saw Rex Mannings’ overhead kick go wide. Evesham threated on occasions and Dan Ball made one excellent tackle to avert the danger as Evesham won a corner. However, the Yate Town pressure eventually told as they took the lead after 40 minutes, when a move involving Marlon Jackson, Rex Mannings saw James Taylor put an excellent ball into a crowded six-yard box and Marlon Jackson rose high at the far post to direct his header into the opposite corner of the net.
Above: Marlon Jackson heads James Taylor’s cross back across goal and below: the ball ends up in the net to put the Bluebells in front.
Alex Monks then unleashed a 30-yard shot that was just over the crossbar. There were seven minutes added by the officials, following a stoppage midway through the first half when Evesham goalkeeper Alex Harris needed treatment. During this period Evesham’s captain, Andre Wright, fired a free kick from the edge of the Yate penalty area, just wide of a post.
The second half got off to a perfect start for the Bluebells, when a delightful ball from Lloyd James found Marlon Jackson who managed to nod the ball over the advancing Alex Harris to double their lead.
Just before the hour mark, Jackson had an opportunity to add another but missed the target and had another shot blocked as Yate still carved out a few chances but it was Evesham who, trying to get back into the game, had slightly more of the possession but Yate Town’s well organised and well drilled defence offered them little. Following a corner from the left, Aaron Sainsbury made a good reaction save when the ball was deflected off fellow defender Dan Ball and Evesham substitute Josh McConnell shot straight at Sainsbury from the edge of the area.
Darren Mullings introduced Swindon Town loanee Dani Gonzalez-Birchall to the action with 12 minutes remaining and his trickery resulted in him being fouled in the Evesham penalty area and another substitute, Chris Zebroski, stepped up to take the penalty sending Alex Harris the wrong way and it was this goal that ensure that Yate Town rose above Evesham United on goal difference.
Chris Zebroski scores from the penalty spot.
Following this excellent performance, in a must win game, Yate Town now occupy 17th position in the table and with 3 games still to play, at Gosport on Saturday, followed by Gloucester City at home on Saturday 18th April and with their final game of the season at Havant & Waterlooville, it will be a nail-biting end to the season for Bluebells fans, especially with the table so tight.
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Taylor (J), Bennett, Ball, Jenkins, James, Guest, Jackson (Zebroski 85), Mannings, Gonzalez-Birchall 78) Taylor (A), Monks (Taylor-Clarke 89)
Unused subs: Sady, Mehew
Bookings: Monks (75)
Evesham United: Harris, Hutt, Barlow, Richards, Poffley, Liggett (Heap 69), Wright, Bojang, Dunbar, Walters, Churchley (McConnell 65),
Unused subs: Beard, Awadh, Alston
Bookings: Walters 88
Attendance: 582
Referee: Nathaniel Wormleighton
Photographs by Harvey Maggs
Yate Town Player of the Match, Marlon Jackson, was chosen by match sponsors FD Cummins.
