LOUIS Bridges netted a 90th-minute equaliser to ensure Worcester City’s trip to Hampton and Richmond was remembered for the right reasons.

Substitute Bridges had only been on the pitch for six minutes when he sent a sweet left-foot volley over the head of keeper Matt Lovett to earn the visitors a dramatic point.

City twice came from behind at the Beveree Stadium with Marco Adaggio also scoring a second-half penalty, after Orlando Jeffery had been sent off for fouling the striker, to cancel out Wayne Daniel’s third-minute own goal.

It was a battling quality manager Richard Dryden will have been pleased to see as his team looked to put their FA Cup heartache behind them.

But he could have done without a feisty fixture being soured by a further red card for City striker Rob Elvins, five bookings and ugly touchline scenes which floundering referee Anthony Coggins struggled to keep under control.

Elvins was given his marching orders for a late 71st-minute lunge on Hampton skipper Dean Wells, an incident which incensed both sides and blew the lid off a simmering encounter.

City appeared to claim Wells was play-acting and assistant boss Carl Heeley had to be restrained from confronting the home captain, who was booked for his flare-up.

Rob Davies, back in the starting line-up, and David Tarpy also escaped late red cards when they squared-up to each other and started grappling on the touchline.

Although City are still without a win on their travels, it was their third league draw and they ensured Hampton failed to improve on just one home success this season.

The team featured two changes, both in midfield, from the FA Cup defeat with Davies replacing Graham Ward and Matt Birley back in for Gary Walker.

However, Dryden’s suggestion that Craig Wilding may have returned up front to bolster the attack did not materialise and, despite scoring twice, the team remains in desperate need of a clinical marksman.

Chances went begging either side of half-time with Adaggio the chief culprit.

City fell behind after just three minutes. The defence, which has been steadfast of late, fell asleep at a free-kick, Ashley Smith cut the ball back from the byline and Daniel slid in and diverted it past Ben Hinchliffe.

The City keeper flung himself to his right to push away Tarpy’s free-kick soon after before Adaggio headed over from a good position on 19 minutes.

Worcester began to live dangerously. Hinchliffe resorted to heading clear from the edge of his area as Hampton applied the pressure.

Davies went closest for the visitors in the first-half, rattling the bar with a free-kick.

It took City just four minutes to get back on level terms after the interval.

Jeffery sent Adaggio sprawling in the area, leaving the referee with no option but to send the defender off, and Adaggio rifled the spot-kick down the centre.

Hampton, though, belied their one-man deficit and restored their lead in the 63rd-minute. Tarpy delivered a free-kick from the right and Michael Lee Charles, unmarked in the six-yard box, powered home.

Elvins’ crunching challenge on Wells ensured player parity but the incident sent the game spinning out of control.

Those ugly scenes seemed set to be the lasting memory until Bridges arrived to save the day.