IT proved an afternoon of two halves for Mid West Counties League leaders Ross Juniors Women on Sunday, as they played a back-to-back double header against Evesham, losing the first and winning the second.

With Hereford FC winning both their double headers against Worcester United the same afternoon, it meant the city side reclaimed top spot on goal difference.

Playing two 60-minute matches, the double header format was all new to Ross, who started the first match well with Millie Malsom opening the scoring after 16 minutes after chasing down a back pass and forcing the keeper to miskick the ball which rolled into the net.

But the lead lasted only 11 minutes as Evesham hit back and the two teams turned around all-square.

Both sides found it hard to play quality football on a bobbling pitch after the restart and it looked like the game was heading for a draw until two minutes from time when Evesham were awarded a penalty and their goalkeeper stepped up to slot home for a 2-1 win and all three points.

Ross changed their formation to an attacking 1-4-3-3 for the second game, as they felt they needed to be on the front foot from the start.

Both teams seemed to have the same idea and went on the all out attack with the action open and end to end.

Again it was all-square 0-0 entering the last five minutes, but this time it was Juniors who got the better of their opponents, with Lauren Creed cutting inside and finishing clinically to win the game 1-0 for Ross and end Evesham's six-game unbeaten run.

Coach Carl Roberts said of the double header: "This was all new to us and where we normally look to control and build our way into games, but we soon found out you couldn’t do this.

"It’s almost like a straight shootout, you have to start fast and be on the attack from the start, hence the formation change.”

Juniors Ladies fell to a 2-1 loss at home to Belmont in the Herefordshire League, Nicola Wall with their goal.

Ross Women visit Inkberrow Eagles this Sunday (March 23), while the Ladies go to Wellington.