Worcester Ath 4,

Evesham Utd Ladies 4

LATE lapses in concentration and the inability to turn chances into goals meant that Evesham Ladies returned home with only a point to show from a game that they should comfortably have won.

The visitors made the best possible start when a fourth minute free-kick was chipped into the penalty area by Charlene McLoughlin for Becky Handy to hook a shot into the far corner for her first goal for the club.

Worcester struck a post twice before they equalised in the 20th minute. This goal stung United into action and they twice went close before Tori Southern outpaced the home defence to make it 2-1 six minutes before half-time.

Three minutes later, Lucy Jeffs won the ball in midfield and played Southern in and she easily added her second to give her side a two-goal cushion.

The second half started with a flurry of action and Evesham should have put the game out of reach of their hosts but Southern fluffed a penalty kick.

To rub salt into the wounds, Athletic broke away to hammer a fine shot just inside the Mandy Upton's near post.

The visitors, however, restored their two-goal advantage in the 56th minute when Lola Hughes was left totally unmarked to knock in a corner from Handy.

The Worcester goalkeeper kept her team in the game with fine saves from Handy and Lisa Tustin, before the latter's lob cleared the keeper but unfortunately landed on the roof of the net.

Worcester made it 4-3 on 79 minutes and they now sensed that they could get something from the game and four minutes later poor defending led to an equaliser.

With the game in stoppage time, Southern had a great chance to make amends for her penalty miss but, after weaving her way into the penalty area, she dragged her shot into the side-netting.