BOWERS & Pitsea Ladies manager Darren Fraser was pleased to see his side return to winning ways.

Danielle Styles scored five minutes from time to allow Bowers to register a 4-3 victory over Hoddesdon Town Ladies.

And although Bowers were not at their best, Fraser admitted it was important to bounce back from the defeat to Newmarket Town Ladies.

Fraser said: “We scored a late winner and it was great to get back to winning ways.

“But we let ourselves down a bit because we were 3-0 up in the first half and went in at half-time with a 3-1 lead.

“At half-time, I told the girls not to underestimate Hoddesdon but I might as well not have said anything because we gave them space and switched off.

“The referee was not the best and gave a few puzzling decisions.

“Hoddesdon came back into the game and lobbed the goalkeeper on the break.

“All of a sudden we had gone from being 3-0 up to drawing 3-3.

“We were camped in their half for the last 15 minutes and were making good use of the wings to create plenty of chances.

“It was frustrating because we wasted so many chances but, in the dying moments, Danielle Styles put the ball underneath the goalkeeper and scored the winner.

“I was pleased that she scored because she had missed two or three really good chances beforehand, along with Sophie Dowman.”

Bowers started strongly and raced into a three-goal lead with Styles, Georgia Fraser and Emma Mackie on target in the first 24 minutes.

Hoddesdon pulled a goal back just before the break and they reduced the deficit further early in the second half.

The visitors kept piling on the pressure and duly levelled, but the ladies persevered and Styles kept her cool to slot home the late winner and give Bowers a welcome three points.

Bowers went into the game with a goalkeeper crisis, but it was solved by Michelle Bailey.

The Bowers chief added: “We were really lucky because, in training, we had spoken about needing to rotate who was going in goal.

“But one of the girls said one of their old team-mates at Hullbridge had retired at the end of last season and may be available.

“Michelle agreed to join us for as long as we need.”

Bowers will be looking to record back-to-back wins when they make the trip to Histon Ladies for a League Cup tie on Sunday.