Pershore welcomed Tuffley Rovers to the The Carpet Place Community Stadium looking to complete the double over the visitors, having won the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

The first opening of note arrived on 15 minutes when Karnell Chambers beat Joe Clayton and drove into the box at pace. Jack Neal recovered well to cover, conceding only a corner. From the resulting set piece, Tuffley headed over under pressure from Ty Griffin.

In a first half short on clear-cut opportunities, Pershore enjoyed a spell of corners and saw a couple of Jamie Lucas efforts blocked as they tried to build momentum.

The visitors were gifted the lead on the half-hour mark. An under-hit back pass from Clayton put Joe Cunneen under immediate pressure from Chambers. The Pershore keeper attempted to lift the ball over the advancing forward but couldn’t execute it cleanly, leaving Chambers with the simplest of finishes into an empty net.

Five minutes later another loose pass, this time from Reece Day, was intercepted and Chambers was sent through again. His chip looked destined for the net but an offside teammate turned it in, and the goal was ruled out.

Just before the break Tino Shumba tried his luck from distance but fired over as Pershore pushed for a leveller.

The hosts emerged for the second half with greater urgency. A fierce drive from George Hunt was parried by the goalkeeper and Lucas reacted quickest, only to see his rebound cleared agonisingly off the line.

Moments later a long Neal delivery was headed into the path of substitute Leo Pinches, but his effort lacked the power to beat the keeper, who recovered well to deny Lucas in the ensuing scramble. Hunt then flashed the loose ball across goal, but once again no one could apply the finishing touch.

Pinches went close soon after with a half-volley that dropped just wide, while another long Neal ball found Day in the box, but he couldn’t get a clean connection to properly test the keeper.

Despite Pershore’s pressure, it was Tuffley who struck next. Chambers again got the better of Clayton and delivered into the box. After a scramble, the ball was forced over the line from close range to double the visitors’ advantage.

Pershore continued to search for a way back into the game. A dangerous cross was headed narrowly wide, and Jack Griffiths Perry did well to create an opening for Lucas, but the striker fired over.

Tuffley sealed the points late on when a corner wasn’t dealt with and the loose ball was laid off to be turned home from close range.

There were a few half chances at either end as the game wound down, but it proved a frustrating afternoon for Pershore, unable to build on recent positive performances against Slimbridge and Cirencester.