Worcester City 2 Curzon Ashton 2

LEE Hughes marked his home debut with a brace, but a stoppage-time equaliser denied struggling Worcester City their first league win in six games.

The former Kidderminster Harriers striker appeared to relish every minute of his return to Aggborough as he produced two clinical finishes either side of the break to open up his City account.

But Hughes’ exploits for his new club were overshadowed by Jordan Wright’s 93rd minute equaliser for Curzon, which stunned the Blue and Whites and left them second from bottom of Vanarama National League North.

Buoyed by their battling point at high-flying Stockport the previous weekend, City had raised hopes of ending their winless streak when they grabbed a seventh minute lead through Hughes.

The forward collected George Nash’s through-ball before shrugging off Curzon defender Andrew Watson and firing into the bottom corner. Hughes’ tussle with the towering Watson became a fascinating feature of the afternoon, as the side from Manchester struggled to contain the marksman.

But Curzon – whose team bus had arrived only an hour before kick-off after being delayed on the motorway – eventually clicked into gear, and drew level from the first corner of the game.

City keeper Nathan Vaughan was only able to punch the 29th minute delivery as far as Curzon defender Daniel Shaw, and he volleyed home from eight yards.

Things could have easily got worse for the hosts had Curzon not been denied a second goal two minutes later, when Gary Burnett’s effort was chalked off for a foul on Vaughan.

And an anxious Aggborough held its breath again as Dan Nti appeared to trip forward Matthew Warburton inside the penalty area – only for referee Michael D’aguilar to blow for half-time.

Hughes remained a thorn in the visitors’ defence after the break, and it came as little surprise when the former Coventry striker restored his side’s lead 12 minutes after the interval.

Dan Nti whipped in a superb cross from the right, which Hughes headed home from six yards for his second of the afternoon.

Worcester had chances to put the game beyond Curzon’s reach but Nti saw an effort cleared off the line.

Hughes also came within a whisker of completing his hat-trick when his instinctive effort from an Nti delivery flashed narrowly wide.

As chances came and went you could sense the anxiety growing inside Aggborough as City’s month-long wait for a second league win seemed tantalisingly close.

But with just seconds remaining City were guilty of standing off Wright, who accepted the invitation to fire in an effort which bobbled off the turf and beyond the desperate dive of Vaughan.