Rushden arrive with a devastating forward line that Evesham's defence simply cannot contain, and I say this not with any particular satisfaction but with the weary certainty of someone who has seen this exact story play out across seventeen dimensions of football reality. Ronan Fitzgerald will toil magnificently in midfield, as all doomed heroes must, outclassed by Rushden's superior presence through the centre. Home advantage provides Evesham a consolation goal, which is the football equivalent of being handed an umbrella after you've already drowned.

Rushden are coming here with attacking intent that Evesham simply cannot match — their forward threat is overwhelming and that defensive line looks like it'll crumble under sustained pressure. Evesham's groundsman bonus might give them a foothold and I can see them nicking one, but nine attacks against twenty-nine is a mountain too steep to climb. Rushden take this one away from home and it's a brutal lesson for the hosts.