Town show plenty of spirit for no reward

FOR the fourth game running Ludlow produced a spirited performance that went without reward, leaving them rooted to the foot of the Midland Alliance table, and the new management team searching for their first point.

In-spite of trailing for much of the game they never allowed their heads to drop and were pounding away at the Victoria goal looking for an equaliser when the final whistle blew.

The game started at pace on a difficult pitch, with Town contributing well. They fell behind on the half-hour mark to a Neil Partridge penalty, awarded when Mark Tipton brought down a Biddulph forward.

The visitors kept battling on and were rewarded with an equaliser just before the half time whistle, with Tipton playing a part to atone for his earlier error. When a corner was cleared to him, he floated the ball into the danger area for James Bacjer to deftly head into the top-corner.

Three minutes into the second half Town found themselves behind for the second time. They kept going and with Bacjer and Michael Thomas showing plenty of pace down the wings always posed a threat. They received another blow when Tom Pope scored his second of the half, on seventy minutes.

Facing an uphill task they threw caution to the wind and were rewarded with a penalty when Bajcer was upended in the box. Martyn Davies scored to set up a thrilling finish. They attacked right up until the end but the closest they came to grabbing a point was when substitute Kevin Welsby clipped the bar with a shot from long range.