AFC Ludlow 4 Ketley Bank United 3.

MANAGER Dave Cooper (pictured below) called AFC Ludlow’s performance ‘dreadful’ and admitted he couldn’t celebrate Nathan Hodge’s late winner.

The ex-Woofferton and Leominster Town player said he ‘couldn’t take one positive thing’ from his side’s victory against the basement boys.

Cooper now hopes the inclusion of Sean Evans and Rob Vass will lift Ludlow for this Saturday’s trip to Weston Rhyn.

“We were dreadful on Saturday and I felt we robbed them,” said Cooper, whose side are seventh in the Mercian League Premier Division.

“I felt sorry for Ketley because they took an early lead but we were 3-1 ahead at half-time.

“They beat us twice last year but we robbed them on Saturday.

“For the last two away games we have played very well but this performance was pretty awful.

“It was one of those days when eight or nine of our players had bad games.

“I could not even bring myself to celebrate our winning goal.

“I think our lads were expecting an easy ride after looking at Ketley’s position in the table.

“I told the players in no uncertain terms that we will get beaten if we keep playing like that.”

Chris Breakwell bagged a brace and Dale Hodge gave Ludlow a 3-1 interval lead but Ketley hit back after the break.

The lowly visitors eventually levelled the match with 15 minutes remaining.

Ludlow snatched the points in the 88th minute when Dan Crowther played in the impressive Nathan Hodge, who fired into the bottom corner.

Cooper is looking ahead to Saturday’s trip to ninth-placed Weston Rhyn. “We rode our luck on Saturday but I thought that we were robbed at Hodnet and we should have won there,” he said. “We could have Rob Vass, Sean Evans and Simon Bull back for Saturday.”

However, Ludlow will be without Simon Bradley, who has returned to Woofferton, and Richard Wozencroft, who is now playing rugby for Tenbury.

“Sean Evans is a very good player and I think he is still on Stourbridge’s books,” said Cooper. “He rang me and said he would be interested in playing for Ludlow and you can’t say no to a player of his calibre.”