AARON Hodge was a surprise inclusion in the AFC Ludlow side who beat Mid-Wales League visitors Llanidloes Town 2-1 at the Ludlow Football Stadium.

Hodge, who left Ludlow last season to spearhead Kington Town’s Division Two title march in the West Midlands (Regional) League has yet to make a decision on where he will play in the 2015-16 season.

He came on as a second-half substitute, playing at centre-half, and boss Dave Cooper admitted: “Aaron was class and I was very impressed.

"We have had our issues in the past but I would have the Aaron who played on Saturday back like a shot.

"But I don’t know what’s happening one way or the other - it’s a case of watch this space.”

The classy Jamie Edwards netted two corking goals as Ludlow came from behind to beat the Welsh side, who had scored first through Nick Mumby.

Goalkeeper Ian Havard kept Ludlow in it with some top saves and Edwards levelled when he advanced past several players from the halfway line and scored from 20 yards.

Then in the second half, after Cooper had made some wholesale changes, Edwards produced a repeat performance with a stunning 25-yarder into the bottom corner to take the man of the match award.

Also involved last Saturday was another former Ludlow player, the ex-Manchester United youngster Sean Evans.

Evans, who turned out for Ludlow in their Mercian League days, had to rebuild his career after suffering a badly broken leg while at AFC Telford and after moving to Stourbridge he scored one of the goals in their 2-0 FA Cup upset over Plymouth Argyle in 2011.

He is currently with Newtown in the Welsh Premier League and Cooper said: “We go back a long way with Sean and he just wanted a bit of a run-out.”

Meanwhile Kieran Dovey played and scored for Cinderford in their 2-1 defeat at Longlevens and looks to have chosen to start the season with the Southern League side.

Ludlow will kick off the 2015-16 West Midlands (Regional) League Division One programme with a trip to Shenstone Pathfinders on Saturday, August 8.

Their first home game is the following Saturday, with Wem Town the visitors to the Ludlow Football Stadium, followed by a second home fixture against Shifnal United on August 22. Their two local derbies with newly-promoted Kington Town are scheduled for Saturday, November 28 at the Ludlow Football Stadium, with the return at Mill Street on Saturday, March 19 while Ludlow will kick off 2016 with a home game against Team Dudley, the side who beat them in last season’s Division One Cup final, on Saturday, January 2.