EVESHAM United boss Mike Ford felt his side were "worthy winners" in their 3-0 pre-season victory over neighbours Worcester City on Tuesday night. 

Levi Steele scored a goal in each half either side of Ethan Moran's instinctive finish to secure a third-straight clean sheet and another win for The Robins. 

After the defeat to Cheltenham Town at the start of the month, Evesham have gone unbeaten since then and Tuesday's second-half performance pleased manager Ford.

"I thought we were quite poor first-half," he said. "We wanted to press them really high and to be fair to them, they dropped their centre-halves deep and made the pitch really big and we struggled.

"They didn't really threaten at all but we were limited in our attacking threat and we didn't win the ball high up enough, other than we scored the goal.

"We had to adapt to that second-half and I thought we did so really well and we were much the better team and ran out worthy winners in the end."

Evesham have two more games left in pre-season before the Southern League Division One South campaign kicks off on August 5.

After reaching the play-off semi-finals last season, Ford is quietly confident his side can repeat that feat in 2023/24 with what he describes as a "young and athletic" team.

"I think we might be a little lighter on numbers in comparison to what we had last year," he added.

"But what we do have is plenty of legs on the pitch. We have an athletic, young team but we just have to gain that experience as we go through the season and we have to gain it quickly, but I am pleased with the group we have got. 

"I have been clear in pre-season that we wanted to win games and we have done that this month, as well as keeping clean sheets. 

"It has been pleasing and I have a really good group and they understand what I want." 

On their promotion chances: "The top two sides from last year have been promoted, you have two coming into the league and I imagine they could be threats.

"Teams that finished in the play-offs will probably be there or thereabouts again but we just have to take care of our own business, win as many games as we can.

"We lost too many games last season when we shouldn't have, and that's what we need to reduce this season if we are to progress."