Hartpury University FC fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Worcester Raiders, on Tuesday night, in a tightly contested match that saw the home side struggle to convert their chances. 

The match began in a cautious manner, with both teams taking time to settle into the rhythm of the game. The first 10 minutes saw little action as both sides probed for an opening. 

However, the first notable event occurred in the 17th minute when Hartpury's Leon Machisa received a yellow card, signalling the rising intensity of the contest. 

Worcester Raiders broke the deadlock in the 29th minute through a well-executed attack down the right flank, with Sam Whitton finishing off the move to put the visitors ahead. 

HARTPURY tried to respond but were unable to create any clear-cut chances before the half-time whistle, leaving them trailing 1-0 at the break. 

After the break, Hartpury made a triple substitution in the 52nd minute, bringing on Jacob Towns, Billy Osborn, and Drew Robinson in place of Keon Sanniola, Tomas Shyamapant, and captain Kian Kang in a bid to turn the tide. 

The changes injected some much-needed energy into the home side, but they were still unable to find a breakthrough. 

The first real chance for Hartpury came in the 65th minute when Louis Manning delivered a dangerous corner, only for Machisa to head over the bar. 

Six minutes later, another opportunity went begging as Towns blasted over from 18 yards following a well-worked corner routine. 

As the game entered its final stages, Hartpury pushed hard for an equaliser. In the 87th minute, a series of attempts were blocked by a resolute Worcester defence, with Noah Coates and Nathan Jenkins both seeing their shots thwarted, and Manning's deflected effort resulting in another corner. 

The best chance of the game for Hartpury came deep into stoppage time when Osborn met a superb cross from Solomon Kent, but he couldn’t direct his header on target. 

The visitors held firm and the match concluded with Worcester Raiders securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory. 

Hartpury will rue their missed opportunities, particularly in the second half, where they dominated but couldn’t find the back of the net. The defeat leaves them with plenty to reflect on as they look to bounce back in their next fixture, away to Royal Wootton Bassett Town.