STOURPORT Ladies returned to action in the Investec West Conference and were held to a 1-1 draw at basement club Cheltenham.

With the pitch just playable due to the cold weather, the game was a scrappy affair with both sides struggling to get a foothold in the game.

With Stourport looking vulnerable, Cheltenham over committed and Kerry Maughan combined with Lauren Shilvock to release Georgina Bathurst down the left hand side.

Having run half the length of the pitch, Bathurst then calmly shot past the advancing Cheltenham goalkeeper.

The goal settled Stourport down and they finished the first half the stronger team with Claire Pearson shooting agonisingly wide from Nicola Moss’ through ball.

After a strong start to the second half by Stourport, Cheltenham dug deep and regained the upper hand and equalised deservedly from a short corner on 45 minutes.

The game ebbed and flowed between Cheltenham’s concerted pressure and Stourport’s breakaways looking like it could give them a potential winner too but a draw left both teams reflecting on what could have been.

The draw keeps Stourport in eighth place in the league with only goal difference separating them from Olton, who pulled level after a win against Bristol Firebrands.

This weekend they entertain top-of-the-table Slough, who are undefeated in the league, at ‘The Kingsway’ pitches with a noon push back.

The seconds also battled out a 1-1 draw against Worcester University in Midlands Division Two.

Stourport went behind to their hosts in the first half but they didn’t give up and equalised through a Kirsty Imm goal in the second half.

The thirds were edged out 1-1 by Worcester seconds while the sixths slipped to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Harborne fifths. They had taken the lead after forcing an own goal but their Birmingham-based opponents hit back to lead 3-1 by half-time.

Stourport fifths suffered an 8-2 defeat against Bromsgrove seconds.

Trailing 3-0, Esme Gibson pulled a goal back and after Bromsgrove had scored a fourth, made it 4-2. But after losing two players to injury, their opponents rattled in four more goals.