EVESHAM United ended 2016 on a disappointing note by going down 2-1 to Shortwood United in Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West.

Poor defending at set-pieces cost Evesham dearly and gift-wrapped the points to out-of-form Shortwood.

It was the Robins' second consecutive defeat at the Jubilee Stadium and a league double for Wood who triumphed 2-0 at Meadowbank in August.

Evesham remain in third spot ahead of Monday's big trip to leaders Hereford FC (3pm).

After a decent first half with a 1-0 lead, the Robins lost their way and could have no complaints about the final outcome.

The first opportunity fell Evesham's way but Paul Fahy could not direct his shot on target.

Kevin Sawyer miscued a clearance to Liam Meredith but, with the Evesham keeper stranded on the edge of his box, the Wood midfielder pulled his shot wide.

Fahy was denied by keeper Rhys Lovett before defender Liam Harding beat him with a powerful 33rd-minute header from Lorcan Sheehan's corner.

Wood went close before half-time but Sawyer saved bravely from Jake Lee.

But all the Robins' hard work went down the pan 10 minutes after the restart when poor marking from Adam Price's corner allowed Matt Bennett a free close-range header to level.

Wood substitute Steve Davies then crashed a shot against the woodwork with Sawyer beaten.

With ten minutes to go, the visitors won courtesy of Lee's smart finish after the defence failed to clear Price's free-kick.

In the last minute, Evesham top scorer Lance Smith had an effort disallowed for a foul on the keeper and also saw his overhead kick saved.

Evesham boss Paul Collicutt said: “We didn't perform to the standards we have set ourselves but had somebody said to me at the start of the season we would be third in the league come Christmas then I would have taken that.

"Too many players were off-colour which made it hard for ourselves but had we taken our chances especially in the first half it might have been a different story.

"The league is the toughest it's been for a long time but we move on and look forward to the Hereford game on Monday."

Evesham: Sawyer, Dovey, Wellon (Stanley 78), Sheehan (Magee 83), Harding, Williams, Fahy, Brown (Bryan 75), Smith, Mann, Preen. Subs not used: Kennedy, Binns.

Attendance: 331.