JOINT manager Matt Gardiner felt his Worcester City side had done enough to secure their second win of the season, despite lamenting poor performances from a number of his players in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Curzon Ashton.

Lee Hughes’ double on his home debut had put City on course to end their winless run until Curzon substitute Jordan Wright lashed in a late equaliser.

Gardiner struggled to hide his disappointment as Worcester let victory slip from their grasp in the Vanarama National League North clash at Aggborough.

“It was gutting to concede in the last 30 seconds of the game,” he said. “I thought we had done enough to grind out a result. It’s hard to take but we didn’t lose the game and finished with 11 men – you have to look at the positives.

“We’ve scored two goals and looked like we were going to score more but there were too many poor performances defensively.”

Gardiner was effusive in his praise for Hughes as the 39-year-old capped a hard-working display with two well-taken goals which suggested his predatory instincts remain.

“If you witnessed him at Stockport last week and here against Curzon, he doesn’t stop,” Gardiner added. “He keeps going and causes defenders problems. We haven’t done that in the last two or three home games so I am quite happy with that area of the pitch.

“We looked like we put them under pressure and their back four struggled to cope with us. However the quality in the second-half wasn’t good enough and that is something we have to work on.”

Gardiner took heart from the arrival of former Notts County striker Shaun Harrad who came off the bench for the final half an hour.

“Shaun is short of a pre-season but there are clubs that are higher than us that will be after him – he will get better and better,”Gardiner added. “Giving him those minutes won’t have done him any harm. He was a bit ring rusty but that will improve.”