STUTTERING Stourport stumbled to a third successive defeat, losing 3-2 at home to Doncaster, and are now the only National League Division One team without a point.
Captain Phil Lashford and co now need a positive result against nearby Bournville this weekend to drag them off the foot of the table.
With both Stourport and Doncaster entering the game without a win from their first two games, it was always going to be a battle.
The visitors opened the scoring through Richard Gill with a simple finish after Stuart Boddy's short corner.
Stourport thought they had equalised when Imran Yousaf threatened just before the break.
But it was synonymous with their season so far that his short corner smacked the woodwork and evaded all of the advancing strikers on its way out.
In the second half midfield exchanges dominated the play with Stourport failing to make use of their share of possession and lacking a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch.
That changed when their danger-man Yousaf, scored from two short corner strikes in seven minutes to give his side a deserved 2-1 lead with 15 minutes left.
But the home town side hit the self-destruct button less than a minute later as Hugh Jellie intercepted a loose Dan Packwood pass and fired past the stranded Stu Hendy to level the scores.
Both teams had players yellow carded as tempers frayed during their search for a win.
And it was not to be Stourport's day as Jellie scored the winner from five yards out in the 65th minute as yet another short corner rebound fell into a Doncaster player's path.
Stourport travel to neighbours Bournville on Sunday in what is set to be another tough encounter following their opponents' steady start to the season.
A late collapse cost the seconds victory at home to Birmingham University on Saturday - despite a solid performance.
They led through Oliver Rostron's goal with 10 minutes to go but the visitor's superior fitness won through late on.
The second hope to bounce back away at Barford Tigers on Saturday.
Fielding one of their youngest ever sides, the thirds were soundly beaten 5-0 by Birmingham Univer-sity.
They played well enough but were outmuscled by the much stronger and physical student side.
On Saturday they host league newcomers Lough-borough at 1pm.
Stourport fourths maintained their 100 per cent record with their third successive win in seeing off West Bridgford fourths 3-0.
Goals from Andy Watson, Luke Martin and Pete Moulam were enough to secure a deserved home victory.
They face a hard task prolonging the run at league favourites Loughborough Students on Saturday.
William Terry's goal was not enough to prevent the fifths falling to a 2-1 defeat at West Bridgford .
They trailed 2-0 at the break and were unable to get back into the game. The fourths host Worcester on Saturday.
Teen sensation Ben Carless bagged a brace as the sixths recorded a 3-2 home victory over Sutton Coldfield fifths.
The 13-year-old scored the first and the third, with Rob Claris notching in between as they came from 21- down to win.
The sixths travel to Cannock eighths on Saturday.
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