Liverpool-born McEvilly joined Cambridge United on loan on 18th January 2008, and made the move permanent at the end of the season.

The burly striker began his career at Burscough in 2000 and was sold a year later for £20,000 to Rochdale, where he stayed for three years, scoring 27 goals in 95 appearances and earning a Northern Ireland cap.

He joined Accrington Stanley on a free transfer in the summer of 2004 after a loan spell during the previous season, and scored 17 goals in 41 appearances before returning to the Football League by joining Wrexham a year later.

Eight goals in 25 appearances (16 starts) followed, but he suffered a broken metatarsal in December 2005, fractured the bone again when making his comeback in the Spring of 2006, and then suffered another fracture in the pre-season of 2006-2007 and was sidelined until November 2006.

McEvilly left Wrexham by mutual consent in June 2007, having scored 14 goals in 51 appearances, and rejoined Accrington, but first team chances were limited and in December 2007 he completed a loan spell at another former club, Rochdale, scoring three goals in three starts and four sub appearances, before joining the U's.

He spent the second half of last season on loan with United, making 15 starts and two substitute appearances, none more memorable than his late appearance at Burton in the Play-off Semi-final first leg when he came off the bench to level the scores with a superb free kick and a penalty to bring his goal tally to five.  Released by Accrington at the end of the season, he joined the U's on a free transfer in June in the face of interest from other clubs.