REDDITCH Ladies are gunning for their first league points of the season after a morale boosting friendly draw against higher league opposition.

An Emma Preston equaliser earned the Bromsgrove Road club a 1-1 draw against a Stratford Ladies side playing two divisions higher.

The result provided a welcome break from what has been a slow start to the Midlands Region Hockey Midlands League Conference season.

Redditch, relegated from Midlands Two last season, started their campaign with straight defeats at Derby Asterdale (5-0), at home to Wrekin (2-0) and at Loughborough Students (4-0).

Skipper Claire Steadman is hoping the first goal of the season can lift her side ahead of the visit of Wellingborough on Saturday (bully-off 3pm).

The visitors are just two places above basement club Redditch and can be overhauled if the hosts, who expect to be unchanged, can win.

At the end of the season the best two Worcestershire sides face re-election and could be involved in a play-off with the Worcestershire champions.

Second from bottom Bournville are the other county representatives.