Evo-Stick Southern, West

Yate Town 2 Didcot Town 2

ON the face of it, a draw against a play-off chasing side with a good goal scoring record does not seem a bad result for Yate Town.

But in reality it felt at the final whistle more like two points dropped than a point gained.

Given that a team with the standing of Didcot could not perform in the second half as ineptly as they had in the first, all three points should have been wrapped up by half time and again the failure to convert good early chances eventually proved costly.

Steve Davies might have had a hat-trick inside the first ten minutes. Defender Sam Elkins cleared the first effort off the line, then a header went just wide followed by another shot that just drifted the wrong side of the upright.

It was all Yate. Adam Price had a shot held by Leigh Bedwill and the Didcot goalkeeper then did well to rush off his line and halt the progress of Ross Langworthy.

The deserved opening goal arrived after 30 minutes, the ball being passed neatly along the edge of the box before finding Price who, after wrong-footing a defender, curled his shot between the goalkeeper and the far post.

Harvey Rivers was then called into action for the first time in the game and he required some attention after diving at the feet of Lewis Hayden who had burst into the box unopposed.

The second goal came right on half time as Ross Langworthy, who had been a thorn in Didcot's side for much of the first period, was hauled down by Cameron McNeill and Davies converted from the penalty spot for his tenth goal of the season.

Whatever pep-talk Didcot were given during the half time break certainly worked and, as Yate started the second period lacking confidence, the visitors were level during a six minute spell early on.

First, George Jeacock scored the game's second penalty after a foul just inside the box on Felipe Barcelos and then Callum McNish was allowed to advance on goal before striking a sweet drive past Rivers into the far corner.

Didcot then dominated especially from set pieces. Yate, with Charlie Hitchings and Sam Boulton prominent, defended well but often gave the ball away making clearances and attacked on the break without much conviction.

Barcelos should have won it for Didcot when he raced through near the end while Yate almost snatched it right on time when substitute Lewis Ellington had a close range shot blocked and Davies' follow up header came back off the crossbar.

Yate Town team: Rivers, Evans, Gregan, Peare, Boulton, Hitchings, Price, Llewellyn (Blake 88 minutes), Davies, Brooks (Ellington 79 minutes), Langworthy. Subs not used: Anderson, Tanner.