Adders negotiated a potential 'Banana Skin', made even harder with a 30 minute kick-off delay due to a floodlight failure. The King George V Stadium was in darkness until 7.30pm, but the game went ahead much to the relief of the Adders players and staff after a long journey into Worcestershire.

Adders made three changes to Saturday's starting line-up that got a point at league leaders Studley,........Darren Eggleton, Alan Miller and Harry Walker-Donovan made way for Danny Douglas, Kyle Baxter and Luke Shorthouse.

The opening ten minutes belonged to the home side as Adders struggled to get a foothold in the game and possession was squandered far too easily, it looked as though the long mid-week journey had taken its toll.

In the 12th minute however Adders won a corner on the left-hand side.... Kyle Baxter drove it in to the near post where Naughton collected it with his back to goal, he was forced away from the danger area by Xavier, but then the left-back lunged in when there was no apparent danger and referee Marchant pointed to the spot.
Naughton picked himself up, dusted himself down and thumped the spot kick to the keepers left to give Adders an unlikely lead.

Pershore should have been on level terms seven minutes later, George Woodward pushed a Ben Lane effort wide for a corner, and when the ball was headed back into the mix at the far post, James Walker could only fire over the bar from 8 yards.

Adders extended their lead in the 24th minute, Morton had a shot well held by Woodward at one end and from his throw out the ball found its way to Shorthouse who's shot was deflected out for a corner.
Baxters' flag-kick was half cleared, but good work from Shorthouse and Quinn returned the ball into the box, Douglas competed with the home defence and when the loose ball dropped to Naughton inevitably it ended up in the back of the net for his 16th goal of the season.

Despite Adders having a two goal lead the game was very even, Woodward was called into action again on the half-an-hour mark saving Xavier's drive from 20 yards.

Thomson, Quinn and Douglas all saw good opportunities come to nothing and Jamie Clarke should have done much better with two great chances in the 35th and 36th minutes, both saved by the impressive Woodward, as the game ebbed and flowed from one end to the other.

The game was all over bar the shouting five minutes from the break as Goodby found Baxter on the right, Baxter delivered and as Bilic rose for the header he was blatantly pushed by Webb for the second penalty of the game.
Naughton again stepped up to beat Wilcox with an identical penalty to his left, Adders led 3-0 and Naughton had 17 for the season.

It nearly got even worse for the home side in first-half stoppage time as Naughton released the ever willing Quinn on the right, he pulled the ball back from the by-line and a deflection off a defender evaded Shorthouses' lunge three yards out.

Half-Time: 0-3

In the second-half Adders must have been expecting the home side to come at flying, Clarke had a shot blocked in the 52nd minute by Haines but other than that they struggled to create anything clear-cut, while at the other end Adders were creating chances at regular intervals.
Naughton had a good shout for yet another penalty as he controlled a Miller cross, but his left footed shot was blocked by what looked like the hands of Wilson. Naughton again could only chip over the bar from Baxters' short corner and keeper Wilcox did well to save a shot from Gray and a header from Miller.

The last chance fell to the home side in the last seconds of the game as a free-kick into the box found substitute Alfie Bloomer who's shot on the turn beat Woodward but rebounded off the upright, summing up a bad night at the office for the men in blue and white.

It was far from Adders best performance of the season but if they were offered a 3-0 win at kick-off they would have snapped your hand off, new custodian George Woodward pulled off five or six top draw saves which clinched him The Clock (Atherstone) Man of the Match award, and Alex Naughton is hitting the net again.......as ever.

Full-Time: 0-3

The Clock (Atherstone) MOM: George Woodward

Atherstone Town: Woodward, Douglas, Bilic (Gray), Haines, Rowe, Goodby, Quinn, Baxter, Naughton (Green), Thomson, Shorthouse (Miller).
Subs Not Use: Eggleton, Walker-Donovan.