NEWENT Town opened their pre-season campaign with a fiery 1-1 draw against Worcester City Reserves on Tuesday night, in a game that was anything but a gentle warmup.

Backed by a loud home crowd at Wildsmith Meadow, Newent in their familiar yellow and black took on a Worcester side in blue and white checks under the lights, and while the goals were few, the talking points were many.

The opening ten minutes saw Worcester dominate possession, but Newent carved out the first clearcut moment when a defensive mix-up forced the visiting keeper to handle outside the box. He was booked for the infringement, but the resulting free kick sailed harmlessly over the bar.

Home fans kept the atmosphere boiling throughout, targeting Worcester’s left back with a barrage of jeers, especially after a crunching challenge that had the Newent crowd calling for a red. The referee instead reached for yellow, and moments later the same defender conceded another foul, clearly rattled by the reception.

Newent’s best chance of the half came in the 12th minute, when a hopeful ball into the box bounced awkwardly over the Worcester keeper, who scrambled back just in time to claw it away.

The game flared up again on 21 minutes when a Newent player was dismissed for reacting to a strong challenge, reducing the hosts to ten men. Despite being a man down, the Daffs remained competitive, and Worcester somehow failed to convert a well-delivered corner shortly after.

Play was briefly halted around the 35 minute mark due to an injury to a Newent player, and although the visitors had a free kick in a dangerous area, it came to nothing.

The first half ended goalless, but the atmosphere and intensity suggested anything but a typical pre-season match. Tempers simmered, with late tackles and heated exchanges a regular feature.

Newent nearly took the lead with the final kick of the half, but a promising break ended with the shot flying over.

The hosts started the second half brightly, forcing a couple of corners, but the breakthrough came in the 52nd minute. A misjudged header back to the Worcester keeper fell short, and the Newent striker nipped in to poke the ball between his legs and into the net to put the home side 1-0 up.

The lead lasted just six minutes. Worcester struck back with a neat move down the left, and the finish cannoned in off the post to level it at 1-1.

Newent went close again midway through the half, narrowly missing the target while trying to lob the keeper. But as legs tired and cramp began to take its toll, the match became fragmented with frequent stoppages.

Despite both sides pushing for a late winner, neither could break the deadlock, and it ended all square.

With several new faces in the Newent squad, including players from Worcester Raiders, the fixture may have felt like more than just a friendly to some. If this opening match is anything to go by, there will be no shortage of passion this pre-season.