THE opening game of 2017 brought frustration for West Wilts Ladies’ third team as they were made to pay for a failure to convert their chances in a 3-1 defeat at home to Wells City Acorns.

Wilts were on the attack first as Lucy Beavan and Ellie Brown led the way but they were lacking a scoring touch.

Wells went forward on the counter, moving the ball around a scattered defence and took advantage of the home side playing without a keeper to slip the first goal in.

Wilts tried to respond and Charlotte Bennett drove up the right and pounded the ball into the circle where Ali Brown stretched to deflect it into the net but it was to no avail.

Good defending from Jess Agate saw the ball kept from crossing the Wilts’ line again but from the resulting penalty corner, Wells doubled their lead with no keeper to stop them.

Wilts continued to attack, leading to Wells conceding a penalty corner. Sally Webb found Sally Ford at the top of the D and she punished a defensive error to rattle the backboards and make it 2-1 at half-time.

In the second half, Colette Henshaw switched a flurry of attacks from right to left, finding Nat Scott on the charge but Wilts still struggled to convert their chances into goals.

Wells took advantage of Wilts’ frustration and soon got another goal to put the hosts’ two in arrears once more.

Wilts battled to the end, with Bennett tireless in attack and well deserving of the player of the match award, but their efforts were in vain.