Kidderminster Harriers Res 3,

Evesham Utd Ladies 3

A TORI Southern hat-trick earned United a share of the spoils on Sunday as they battled back from a two-goal deficit.

Evesham bossed the early stages with Southern's pace causing problems for the Harriers defenders and the striker went close on three occasions.

However, the visitors were made to pay when Kidderminster were awarded a 22nd minute penalty for a handling offence on the goalline and the ball was confidently struck past Mandy Upton.

The diving goalkeeper was beaten again two minutes later but United refused to lie down and battled back to reduce the deficit 13 minutes before the break when good work by Lola Hughes sent Southern away and this time she made no mistake to slip the ball past the advancing goalkeeper.

The visitors got a richly deserved equaliser six minutes before half-time, when the persistence of Laura Lane resulted in the ball again finding it's way to Southern to run at the defence and bend her shot round the goalkeeper.

Southern almost turned provider a minute before the break when her inviting cross from the right only just evaded the head of strike partner Charlene McLoughlin.

United took the lead three minutes after the break as Southern reacted quickest to McLoughlin's square pass to stretch and poke the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper.

Laura Westwood was well positioned to clear the ball off the line after 57 minutes but the equaliser came three minutes later.

With Hughes having a fine game at the heart of the visitors' defence, United countered any further threats from the home side and looked the most likely side to win the game.

However, this wasn't to be and United had to settle for a draw, although they were denied a penalty in the final minute when Southern appeared to be blatantly pushed to the ground when clean through on goal.