Pershore II 2, Droitwich II 2

PERSHORE'S second string opened the new season with a competent, if yet uninspiring friendly draw against local rivals Droitwich.

After a bright start Pershore found themselves a goal down when a right wing cross slipped inside keeper, Neil Aldty's near post.

However, the home side continued to plug away using the Hughes brothers down the right hand side and pulled a goal back when Jamie Hughes converted from a short corner.

The scorer then added a second just before half time after a creative passing move involving most of the team.

The second half proved a disappointment for Pershore when the visitors pulled a goal back just after the restart and their forwards failed to match the promise of the previous half.

The remainder of the match saw a midfield stalemate with both sides tackling well to restrict scoring chances.

Droitwich did have the chance to seal victory with a breakaway, only to be thwarted by Aldty who sprinted off his line to beat the forward to the ball and ensure the draw.