Ledbury Town 4 Lye Town 3

INJURIES, illness and suspensions meant that Ledbury fielded a much-changed team for their West Midlands League Premier Division mid-table battle against visiting Lye.

Although the defence was boosted by the return of goalkeeper Adam Penny and former central defender Chris Jones, the normally reliable Ledbury defence was at sixes and sevens as the lively Lye forwards surged forward.

The visitors dominated the opening 40 minutes to open up a two-goal lead, Anthony Cox and Andy Burgess hitting the target with excellent strikes, before Stuart Hall reduced the arrears two minutes before the break with a superb 30 yard free-kick.

Substitute Robbie Colwell, still not fully recovered from a fractured rib, came on to bolster the home attack and levelled with just about his first touch when he finished off good approach play with a crisp volley.

Lye regained the lead through Luke Philpotts, but Hall put Ledbury back on terms with a diving header.

This set up a good finish with Ledbury snatching victory when Duncan Preedy atoned for some earlier misses with a rasping 25-yard drive.