PERSHORE Town manager Lewis Marston said the 0-0 opening night draw with Worcester Raiders was "everything we wanted it to be" and believes it was a performance to build on going forward into a hectic first month of the season. 

Newly-promoted Pershore were more than competitive against one of the pre-season Hellenic League Premier title-favourites in Raiders and manager Lewis Marston was full of confidence at full-time after an absorbing contest.

"It was everything we wanted the first game of the season to be," he said. "Both sides were good but I thought we kept the ball well, we created chances and I thought our concentration was spot on.

"When you play a side like Worcester Raiders you have to stay on the ball at all times, for 90 minutes of the game and I think we did that. 

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"The chances were there. I can think of three off the top of my head which I will probably have nightmares about as they probably should have gone in! 

"But it is a game where you look at it and think, with the number of chances both sides created, a draw is a fair result in the grand scheme of things."

Both Pershore and Raiders had chances to win the game but neither could find the back of the net, with Plums keeper Eddie Cox in particular having a brilliant game in goal for the hosts.

He pulled off a number of top saves to deny Raiders and after the game, Marston was full of praise for his number one. 

"With Eddie you tend to expect those type of performances but he just gives magic moments in games and it's what he does," he added.

"He is one of those players that can do nothing for 80 minutes and then pull of three amazing saves and it's what he does, he was brilliant. 

"It's not just the saves either, it's how he can play on the ball. He can play football and he can build our attacks from the back and we are very glad to have him."

It was a display that proves Pershore will be more than game opponents for any side this season. They looked compact when they needed to be, dug deep at times but also looked full of quality going forwards.

But Marston knows it is only a start and wants the game to be used as a platform for the rest of the season.

"The Worcester teams are obviously going to be the favourites but we are going in under the radar a little bit and that's what we want to do," he continued.

"We are a hard-working team, we're an honest team and we play decent football. People will see that when they come and watch us.

"We can build from this result and performance as a team, as a group. The unity they showed in patches tonight (Tuesday) was perfect for a first game. It was a really good, tight-knit performance from us."