Archive
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30/11/04 - Goalkeeper certainly no City loser
HOW many Worcester City footballers can you name that have never been on the losing side during their career at St George's Lane? The statistical books may spring up the odd player who, over time, has made the briefest of appearances without ever sampling
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9/11/04 - Finances highlight Boddy anniversary
IT may have gone beyond the attention of eagle-eyed Worcester City supporters but two anniversaries are being quietly celebrated at St George's Lane. The observant City fan would probably have realised that Saturday's Nationwide North trip to Droylsden
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26/10/04 - Key time for City's season
ALTHOUGH John Barton is a user of the managerial ad-age of not looking beyond the next game, it's worth observing that the next few weeks could prove to be the most critical period in Worcester City's season. Tonight's battle at Vauxhall Motors is clearly
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19/10/04 - December the target for Stanley
THERE'S no doubt that this fortnight's break from fixtures will do the power of good for Worcester City and a small band of players eager to return to full fitness. Saturday's long haul to Southport will be 15 days since City's previous Nationwide North
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12/10/04 - City fans playing numbers game!
THERE were quite a few discussion points for City fans to mull over following Friday night's encouraging goalless draw at St George's Lane with Nat-ionwide North leaders Alfreton Town. Aaron Kerr's horrendous in-jury, the impressive performances of Shabir
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5/10/04 - Heeley calls on fans to back players
AFTER a decade's loyal service at Worcester City, you'd be forgiven for thinking that nothing ever surprises captain Carl Heeley. But even City's long-serving skipper was amazed at the stick dished out by a section of support towards the team and manager
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21/9/04 - Numbers game key to City bid
SO Worcester City have finally lost their first game in the Nationwide North at Ashton United. It was a fine run while it lasted and gave City fans something to cheer about, albeit for just a few days, as supporters of the last unbeaten side in the inaugural
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28/4/04 - City life of ups and downs
GOOD, bad or just plain indifferent! Just how does City's season measure up? While John Barton sits down to assess the campaign, City fans will be doing the same. Some will be in agreement with the manager that it's been another year of steady progress
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31/3/04 - Reds defeat can spur City
PAT Lyons believes the disappointment of the Crawley defeat can spur them on to finish the season on a high. The midfielder insisted the result had not left them disheartened but merely whetted their appetite to challenge for runners-up spot. "We wanted
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3/3/04 - Halliday targets first team
SEVEN months putting your feet up sounds like bliss to some but for footballers it's nothing short of torture. Unfortunately for Kevin Halliday that's precisely what he has had to endure since injuring his knee in pre-season before a competitive ball
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18/2/04 - Snape's praise for strikers
JOHN Snape credits Worcester City strike duo, Leon Kelly and Mark Owen, with helping turn the club's fortunes around. The pair have scored 16 goals between them in their last 15 games and Snape believes their developing partnership is beginning to pay
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28/1/04 - Experience the key factor
NOW the dust has settled over Mick Tuohy's departure as City's first-team coach, thoughts will turn to who should be his replacement. John Barton is believed to have already identified several potential targets, the majority of whom are currently with
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14/1/04 - Age no barrier for City duo
LIAM McDonald is winning new fans every time he pulls on the blue and white striped shirt of Worcester City. In just three starts the midfielder has established a promising partnership with John Snape, helping the St George's Lane club shed its festive
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31/12/03 - City must aim for top five
THE good news for City fans is tomorrow's Stafford Rangers clash will definitely be on - short of an Ice Age developing overnight. Chairman Dave Boddy says there are no plans for a pitch inspection but there could be a steward's inquiry if John Barton's
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23/12/03 - City foes pose tough test
A STRICT dietary regime means the only chance of a Christmas stuffing for City's finest will come at Moor Green on Boxing Day. Hopefully it will be John Barton's side doing the carving up but beating Moor Green on their home patch has been a job easier
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17/12/03 - Davies keen to be boss
ALLAN Davies has expressed his desire to follow in the footsteps of City boss John Barton and try his hand at management. The 31-year-old looks a suitable candidate to one day step into a managerial hot-seat and Davies admits he'd love the chance to give
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10/12/03 - Heeley eyes cup success
IT'S becoming harder to fathom this Worcester City side by the week. One step forwards, three steps sideways and two steps back seems to be the pattern as they stumble from one match to the next scaling new heights for inconsistency. Just when they seem
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3/12/03 - Down memory Lane!
THIS month sees the long-awaited publication of The Official History of Worcester City Football Club. Short of discovering a new Barry Williams it is harder to think of a better Christmas present for City and football fans alike. Painstakingly researched
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19/11/03 - Cottrill takes centre stage
IAN Cottrill - so good George Rooney bought him twice - will grace St George's Lane for one last time in his testimonial against Kidderminster Harriers on Monday night. It will be a fitting send off for a City stalwart who earned his spurs during two
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29/10/03 - Much ado about nothing!
CITY'S winning goal at Chippenham has unleashed a storm of vitriol in Wiltshire with Bluebirds boss Tommy Saunders dubbing Worcester 'cheats'. The accusation stems from City's failure to return the ball to their hosts following Scott Walker's injury after
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22/10/03 - Woodley playing for a City future
CRAIG Woodley has been given a month to prove he's worth a contract at City. And the 27-year-old trialist, who made a fleeting appearances as a stoppage time substitute at Hinckley last night, is determined to win over Worcester boss John Barton. It's
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8/10/03 - City in need of fresh blood
AUTUMN is upon us, leaves are dropping faster than Ruud van Nistelrooy in the penalty box and City are at a crossroads less than two months into the season. Is it really that dramatic? Well five defeats in six matches begs the question how far manager
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1/10/03 - Hadley admits time is right
STEWART Hadley admitted quitting football was one of he toughest decisions of his life but the right one. The 29-year-old striker arrived at St George's Lane in December 2001 and during a scintillating two-month spell was outstanding for City alongside
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24/9/03 - Possession is king for Foy
AS a young Birmingham City player in the early 1990s David Foy had it drummed into him the importance of possession. Anyone at St George's Lane on Saturday, in fact at any match that Foy plays in, will recognise those lessons have been taken to heart.
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10/9/03 - City seek that killer touch
JOHN Barton has urged his sharpshooters to hone their predatory skills and it's clear to see why after a good half's work at Weston last night was undone by wayward finishing. The partnership of Mark Owen and Leon Kelly has produced the rather meagre
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29/9/04 - Cup clash will prove big test
SATURDAY is a big day for Worcester City against Cambridge City in the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round and we need everybody pulling in the same direction. Our last three league results have not been the greatest and it was disappointing again at Harrogate
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22/9/04 - Penalty box problems prove costly
IT has been a very disappointing week for us to say the least after losing our first Nationwide North game at Ashton United and then last night's defeat to Worksop Town -- it's a double whammy for us. Only a week ago against Kettering we produced some
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15/9/04 - Slick City continue to impress
TWO games in the space of three days is always tough but I was pleased with the performances that has seen us take four points against Lancaster and Kettering in Nationwide North. We will look to keep our run going on Saturday when we head to Ashton United
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28/4/04 - Players raring to get after Sutton
THE end of a long season is in sight but we're still focused on winning our remaining two games to end on a positive note. Tonight, weather permitting, we can lift the Worcestershire Senior Cup, by overhauling Sutton's 2-1 first leg advantage and then
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7/4/04 - Stakes are high following defeat
THE big fear is that the Dorchester defeat will herald an end of season collapse. That's what everybody has been talking about because that's been our fate in the last two seasons. However I believe we are better equipped to deal with the run-in than
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Bromsgrove Rovers 3 Worcester City 1
Tuesday, November 23, 2004 A BRACE from Leon Mitchell helped Bromsgrove Rovers secure an emphatic 3-1 win over Worcester City last night in the Worcestershire FA Senior Cup second round. Mitchell's double was sandwiched by a strike from City striker James
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24/3/04 - Brooking a star but Robson best
MONDAY night threw up an old face from the past with Trevor Brooking's presence at our friendly with Westfields. The former West Ham favourite was there to mark the official opening of their new stadium. Brooking was a great player but unfortunately during
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Worcester City 3 Chippenham Town 0
Saturday, November 6, 2004 WORCESTER City produced a fine second-half display which saw them score three goals to easily dispose of Chippenham Town in their FA Trophy First Round clash at St. George's Lane. In truth, City were far too good for the Southern
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Worcester City 2 Stafford Rangers 1
Monday, November 3, 2004 STRIKER Mark Owen faces at least six weeks on the sidelines after cracking three ribs during Worcester City's 2-1 Carthium Cup win over Stafford Rangers at St George's Lane last night. Owen was taken by ambulance to Worcestershire
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Worcester City 2 Altrincham 1
Saturday, October 30, 2004 THERE was a spooky inevitably that Worcester City would earn the good fortune they so desperately seeked on the eve of Hallowe'en. Not a single black cat tiptoed into sight at St George's Lane as City profited from a huge slice
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Vauxhall Motors 2 Worcester City 2
Tuesday, October 26, 2004 WORCESTER City were forced to settle for another 2-2 draw last night after twice squandering the lead at Vauxhall Motors in Nationwide North. Delightfully worked goals from Nick Colley and Leon Kelly put City in front on two
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11/2/04 - Best point of season at Tiverton
IN many respects Saturday's point at Tiverton Town was the best of the season. Sometimes you look at a game and get a feeling about it, and after 10 minutes I have to admit I thought it was a match too far for us. The wind was howling, conditions were
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Harrogate 2 Worcester City 0
Saturday, September 25, 2004 AS one of England's most famous Spa towns, Harrogate has enjoyed for centuries its reputation as a centre to cure stress. However, it will take more than plunge pools, body wraps and Indian head massages to treat the headache
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21/1/04 - Chance to settle score with Boro
SATURDAY will be a tough task against Nuneaton but definitely one to look forward to. They've twice had the better of us this season so there is a huge incentive for us to beat them at St George's Lane. Historically Nuneaton and Worcester are both clubs
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Worcester City 0 Worksop Town 2
Tuesday, September 22, 2004 WORCESTER City crashed to their second consecutive Nationwide North defeat last night as defensive mistakes gifted Worksop a comfortable 2-0 win at St George's Lane. Disastrous first-half errors in the City back-line handed
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14/1/04 - Good week but still more to do
TWO wins in three days has put a spring back in our step but after the season to date forgive me if I don't go shouting from the roof tops just yet. In general the players' attitude and application has been first class. The dressing room has thrown a
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31/12/03 - Goodbye to less than great 2003
NEW Year is just round the corner and from a footballing point of view I couldn't be happier to bid good riddance to 2003. It's been a disappointing and poor year in many ways with a good few obstacles put in our way, notably injuries to key players.
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23/12/03 - Moorlands clash eagerly awaited
ONE thing is for sure, Moor Green will not be an easy game for us to restart our league campaign. Bob Faulkner's side may have endured a rough start to the season but I never thought they were as bad as their early season form suggested and their latest
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Worcester City 3 Lancaster City 1
Saturday, September 11, 2004 TALK of promotion from Nationwide North is far too premature at this early stage of the season. But if Worcester City continue to sprinkle the five-star football that blitzed Lancaster back up the M6, then dreams of Conference
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3/12/03 - Marine defeat leaves a bitter taste
MARINE put paid to our FA Trophy hopes on Saturday in a match overshadowed by Danny McDonnell's sending off. It was a bitterly disappointing defeat for us but insult will be added to injury when Danny misses the Crawley Town match in 10 days time. The
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Barrow 2 Worcester City 2
Saturday, August 21, 2004 WORCESTER City maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a hard-earned, but well-deserved point, following a 2-2 draw with Barrow at Holker Street. City, who showed plenty of character throughout the Nationwide North
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19/11/03 - Tough run tests City's resolution
FOOTBALL is a tough game at the best of times but it's doubly difficult when you are in a run like ours. It is not easy for all kinds of reasons but we've no intention of sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves. In fact to be honest the situation has
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Redditch United 0 Worcester City 4
Tuesday, August 17, 2004 A SUPERB all-round performance enabled Worcester City to hand out a 4-0 Nationwide Conference North hammering to county rivals Redditch United at a rain-swept Valley Stadium last night. Redditch made the brighter start, but as
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29/10/03 - Bluebirds win is vital for season
IT was an important result for us at Chippenham Town on Saturday and it was a good second-half performance that helped us get it. The combination of result and performance rarely goes together. We have had games this year where we have had the result
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22/10/03 - Lack of goals is cause for worry
IF I'm being completely ruthless in analysing our season to date we have not scored enough goals. Take out the seven we clocked up against Bath City and we are short in the goals for column. Leon Kelly is shaping up to be the 25 goal a season man we are
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Grantham Town 4 Worcester City 3
Saturday, April 24/04 - CITY had a dose of their own medicine rammed down their throat by Grantham Town - and it proved a bitter pill to swallow for manager John Barton. The Gingerbreads stoppage-time winner killed off a sterling comeback, leaving Worcester's
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15/10/03 - Claridge will find managing tough
STEVE Claridge brings his Weymouth team to St George's Lane on Saturday in another testing match for City. The Terras player-manager is currently finding his feet in management and has brought in some experience with the likes of Lee Philpott and Scott
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8/10/03 - Time to tackle inconsistencies
TWELVE games gone and I'll stick my neck out and say the league will be won with the lowest points total for a good few years. The league is extremely competitive but I've got no fears about sending our team out to face anybody. We proved that in two
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Worcester City 2 Eastbourne Borough 1
Saturday, April 17, 2004 CAPTAIN marvel Carl Heeley steered in a stoppage time header to claim a sensational win at St George's Lane on Saturday. It capped an incredible six-minute turnaround in which Worcester City emerged from the jaws of defeat to
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Worcester City 0 Chippenham Town 0
Saturday, April 10, 2004 LEON Kelly suffered double agony on Saturday after missing a penalty and limping off injured in Worcester City's 0-0 bore-draw with Chippenham Town. The striker's failure to convert a spot-kick proved decisive in a Dr Martens
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24/9/03 - City spirits high for Boro cup tie
SPIRITS are high after our superb win against Bath City and it was the perfect way to sign off league action for two weeks. Thumping seven past the Romans was just the tonic we needed ahead of our FA Cup clash with Nuneaton Borough and the most pleasing
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17/9/03 - Tough times but we'll stick it out
IT'S not often I would mention Newcastle United and Worcester City in the same breath but I was interested to see Sir Bobby Robson's interview after Saturday's 2-2 draw with Everton. They haven't had the greatest of starts but Robson was pointing out
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Worcester City 0 Crawley Town 1
Monday, March 29, 2004 SO near, yet so far! Worcester City's brave effort to de-rail champions-elect Crawley Town came up short last night. It may have only been fractions, here and there, but bundled together and Francis Vines' Reds team just had that
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27/8/03 - City find right gear in time for Crawley
MONDAY'S win against Moor Green made it three on the trot and it was by far our most convincing performance to date. Everything clicked into place both individually and collectively and it was a very strong display. The criticism up until the Moor Green
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Weymouth 3 Worcester City 1
Tuesday, March 16, 2004 WORCESTER City's faint title hopes were effectively killed off last night as their unbeaten run came grinding to a halt. Weymouth ran out 3-1 winners in an absorbing top-of-the-table clash at the Wessex Stadium but it proved a
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20/8/03 - Away form key to City fortunes
A GOOD start to the season is imperative for us if we want to enjoy a successful campaign. Two games in and we've got four points from six and I think on Saturday at three o'clock I would have settled for that. Picking up points on the road will be vital
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13/8/03 - New faces freshen up City's title hopes
THESE summer breaks seem to be getting shorter and shorter but that's fine by me because I'm relishing another crack at the title. Five weeks of pre-season has passed quickly and it's now down to the serious business of producing performances, winning
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The Manager's View - 2002/3
Last season's articles can be found by following the archive link (left). Alternatively click here.
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Worcester City 3 Halesowen Town 2 (after extra-time)
Monday, March 1, 2004 IT took extra-time in the end but Worcester City reached their first cup final in three years last night. John Barton's team defeated Halesowen Town 3-2 on a bone-hard St George's Lane pitch to book a place in the Worcestershire
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Worcester City 1 Chelmsford City 0
Saturday, February 14, 2004 MARK Owen underlined his value to Worcester City with a trademark winner on Saturday. His predatory instincts killed off stubborn resistance from Chelmsford City and extended their unbeaten run to six. It wasn't a classic display
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Bath City 1 Worcester City 1
Tuesday, February 3, 2004 WORCESTER City's hoodoo struck again last night when a stoppage time equaliser robbed them of three points at Bath City. It's 22 seasons since City last beat the Romans at Twerton Park, stretching back to November 1981, but that
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Worcester City 3 Welling United 1
Saturday, January 31, 2004 SUCCESSIVE home victories, and in some style! Wake up City fans you are not dreaming. For much of this season St George's Lane has been a bubbling cauldron of seething frustration, but on Saturday it echoed to its rusty rafters
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Worcester City 4 Nuneaton Borough 0
Saturday, January 24, 2004 CITY fans have had to wait a long time to see a really convincing display at home in the league. On Saturday their prayers were finally answered as they put on a stunning show to outclass title-chasing Nuneaton Borough. Everyone
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20/1/04 - Worcester City 0 Moor Green 2
TEENAGE debutant Sha-bir Khan provided a rare bright spot as Worcester City crashed out of the Dr Martens League Cup to Moor Green last night. Goals from Daire Doyle midway through the first-half and in stoppage time from the penalty spot, condemned City
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Newport County 0 Worcester City 4
Saturday, January 10, 2004 AS gee-ups go, slapping last season's top scorer on the transfer list ranks among the more radical by John Barton of late. But putting Darren Middleton up for sale might yet prove to be a catalyst for a number of City's under-achievers
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Dover Athletic 2 Worcester City 1
Saturday, January 3, 2004 A CONTROVERSIAL winner denied an injury and sickness ravaged City a deserved share of the spoils at Dover. It was a shattering blow for John Barton's team who made light of their plight to produce arguably their best performance
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Worcester City 0 Stafford Rangers 1
Thursday, January 1, 2004 NEW Year, same old City was the cry from disgruntled supporters after Worcester's disappointing 1-0 defeat to Stafford Rangers. While Stafford's love affair with St George's Lane continues to flourish after a fourth successive
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Moor Green 1 Worcester City 1
Friday, December 26, 2003 LEON Kelly's predatory instincts spared Worcester City a dose of Boxing Day blues at Moor Green. The striker's 75th minute goal came out of nothing but was enough to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw that leaves John Barton's side
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Marine 2 Worcester City 0
Saturday, November 29, 2003 LIVERPOOL might be famous for its humour but City's FA Trophy defeat by Marine was anything but a barrel of laughs. Anger and frustration were the overriding emotions eminating from the visitors after keeper Danny McDonnell's
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Worcester City 3 Weston super Mare 0
Saturday, November 22, 2003 AFTER seemingly weeks of purgatory it was time to smile again at St George's Lane on Saturday courtesy of forgotten hero Mark Owen. Delving into the rich repertoire that the striker habitually displayed until his cruel injury
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Worcester City 0 Hednesford Town 1
Saturday, November 15, 2003 IT'S not quite time to don the life-jackets, jump overboard and swim for it yet but City are fast resembling a sinking ship. Surveying the aftermath of another soul-destroying defeat to Hednesford it's impossible not to fear
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Chippenham Town 1 Worcester City 2
Saturday, October 25, 2003 THERE may have been no earthquakes or smouldering volcanoes erupting in Chippenham on Saturday but Paul Carty's stoppage time winner was seismic nonetheless. It was simply a massive victory for Worcester, bogged down of late
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Hinckley United 0 Worcester City 0
Tuesday, October 21, 2003 WORCESTER City's goalless draw at Hinckley United ended in acrimony last night with boss John Barton accusing the referee of swearing at Adam Wilde. The alleged incident occurred in the 75th minute after furious City claims for
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Nuneaton Borough 2 Worcester City 1
Saturday, October 4, 2003 NUNEATON Borough grabbed the spoils but needed the lion's share of luck to see off valiant City. The consensus from the Boro contingent was that John Barton's side were the best they had faced this season. But it was no consolation
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Hednesford Town 3 Worcester City 1
Tuesday, September 16, 2003 JOHN Barton admitted his side were not good enough after Worcester City crashed to their third successive defeat last night. Hednesford Town's 3-1 victory at Keys Park, following on the back of losses to Tiverton and Weston
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Worcester City 1 Tiverton Town 2
Saturday, September 13, 2003. IT doesn't take long to go from hero to zero in football as John Barton and his team are no doubt aware after a few barbed comments were aimed their way on Saturday just seven days after they'd topped the league. Frustration
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Crawley Town 4 Worcester City 0
Saturday, August 30, 2003 SHOCKING, awful, and frustrating! That was just the journey down south after a bad crash forced the closure of the M40 but it could equally have applied to City who totally capitulated to Crawley in a toothless display. Whether
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Worcester City 3 Moor Green 0
Monday, August 25, 2003 MARK Owen reclaimed his old stamping ground last night as City lit up St George's Lane last night with a stellar performance. The 25-year-old striker scored the second of Worcester's three goals as the threat of rivals Moor Green
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Worcester City 1 Havant and Waterlooville 1
Saturday, August 16, 2003 THEY say never look a gift horse in the mouth and none come much bigger than Havant down to 10 men after 25 minutes. Gareth Hall's dismissal for a cynical foul on Leon Kelly with the visitors a goal to the good gave City a man
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Match reports - 2002/3
Last season's match reports can be found by following the archive link (left). Alternatively click here.
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23/11/04 - Young guns get chance to impress
TONIGHT'S Worcestershire Sen-ior Cup clash at Bromsgrove Rovers might not be the most glamorous fixture on Worcester City's calendar -- but it could be the most important game in the careers of four young lads. While most eyes will focus on Danny McDonnell
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16/11/04 - No looking back for reborn City
AS a clutch of footballing 'minnows' stole the national limelight on Saturday with their FA Cup giantkilling efforts, Worcester City's achievement may have gone a little unnoticed in some non-league quarters. While Hinckley United flattened Lea-gue One
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21/4/04 - Busy Lane causes problem
GAMES are coming thick and fast at St George's Lane but too many to sustain the quality of the pitch. Groundsmen Richard Bush and Martin Knight are custodians of the playing surface and admit it's a nigh on impossible task keeping it in good nick. It's
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14/4/04 - City need spark for run-in
IT seems you can set your clock by Worcester City's end-of-season demise. The first whiff of summer and bang - off the boil they go. It's the St George's Lane equivalent of Groundhog Day but no laughing matter for John Barton who after three defeats in
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7/4/04 - It's great up North: Owen
AS Worcester Warriors' supporters contemplate away visits to such famous venues as The Stoop, Kingsholm and Welford Road, spare a thought for City's loyal band of travelling fans. Lonely footballing outposts such as Barrow, Whitby and possibly Blyth Spartans
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24/3/04 - Carl keeps up appearances
TALK to any City supporter of a certain vintage and they will regale you with stories of favourite players from the past. Harry Knowles, Bobby McEwan, Howard Madley, John Inglis, John McGrath, Barry Williams -- the names trip off the tongue. Fast forward
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10/3/04 - Who's laughing now Dan!
IN a recent supporters' club newsletter, Danny McDonnell said the funniest thing in football, was John Snape trying to shoot. City's keeper might have to find something new to laugh at, following Snape's thunderous drive on Saturday. The midfielder's
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25/2/04 - On-field fortunes flourish
CITY'S new stadium hopes may look bleaker this week, but the club's on-field fortunes are soaring. Seemingly down and out of the title race not too long ago, at one point down as far as ninth in the table, they are back within touching distance of leaders
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11/2/04 - Jai willing to pitch in for cause
CITY revealed spadefuls of fighting spirit to secure a point at Tiverton Town on Saturday. Under the cosh in conditions more suitable to hippos than footballers, they clawed their way back into the match and came close to nicking all three points. Definitely
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4/2/04 - Keeper eyes lengthy stay
DANNY McDonnell has only just signed a two-year contract extension but you sense he would love to see out his playing days at St George's Lane. The 30-year-old keeper has been inspired by veterans Paul Carty, Carl Heeley and John Snape, all still playing
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21/1/04 - Patience could be a virtue
PATIENCE was in short supply for fans at St George's Lane on Monday -- fuelled by a pretty abject showing by City against Moor Green. Renewed optimism, instilled by victories against Newport and Redditch, dissipated in the face of a ragged display, made
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7/1/04 - Results must improve fast
JOHN Barton's no-nonsense attitude doesn't brook much self pity but even he must have thought 'why me' after City's 2-1 defeat at Dover. Even the most ardent Whites fan would acknowledge City's efforts while the dubious nature of Tommy Tyne's winner just
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12/11/03 - Juggling act for City manager
FOOTBALL managers are by nature a wheeler-dealer bunch, especially at non-league level. It's part of the job and the maxim that you are only as good as your contacts (toss in budget to that equation as well) stands up to scrutiny. That's why when you
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5/11/03 - Boddy banks on stadium lifeline
MONEY talks, and nowhere louder than in football where at times it positively screams. In Worcester City's case it's the difference between muddying along in the Dr Martens Premier Division and hitting the heights of the ever-improving Nationwide Conference
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15/10/03 - Woolley set for Terras ace
WITH his rolled down socks, hang-dog expression and lolloping gait Steve Claridge does not fit the image of a modern day striker. But Weymouth's player/manager has always been more about substance than style during an eventful career stretching from non-league
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17/9/03 - Changes fail to rouse City
THREE defeats on the bounce doesn't constitute a crisis but on the other hand its difficult to see just where City's next win is coming from. John Barton rang the changes last night in a bid to shake up his side, relegating Mark Owen to the bench and
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3/9/03 - Trust shapes way for City
MOVES are afoot to give City fans a far bigger say in how the club is run with the establishment of a Supporters' Trust. The idea simply involves greater input and access from those on the terraces of St George's Lane into the running and direction of
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27/8/03 - Middleton silences snipers
JOHN Barton believes Darren Middleton answered a few critics with his display against Moor Green on Monday night. It was packed with plenty of forward breaks plus a willingness to chase down and harry opponents, doing what Middleton calls the 'ugly side
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20/8/03 - Wilde card ace in the pack
ADAM Wilde's less than auspicious start to the season when he hurt his ankle hanging out the washing will hopefully not be an omen for City's remainder of the season. There have been freak mishaps in the City camp before of course -- Ian Cottrill slipped
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Down the Lane - 2002/3
Last season's articles can be found by following the archive link (left). Alternatively click here.
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22/12/04 - Festive double can fire City bid
IT would be a terrific Christmas and New Year if we could win both of our forthcoming Nationwide North games against Nuneaton Borough. Over the years, Worcester against Nuneaton has always been a big fixture and it would be great if we could end the year
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1/12/04 - Cup cheer leaves boss beaming
I COULD not be happier with the players after the hard work and determination they have shown to get us through two difficult cup ties. Playing two games in the space of three days was always a tough ask, especially having to travel to Manchester on Monday
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24/11/04 - City must cut out the mistakes
LAST night's defeat at Bromsgrove Rovers was concerning and we will have to address certain aspects of our game if we are to get past Prescot Cables this Saturday in the FA Trophy. It may have been the Worcestershire FA Senior Cup, but I've seen bad habits
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17/11/04 - City aces turning on the style
CHARACTER can be an overused word at times -- but that was what we showed lots of against Droylsden on Saturday in what was a tremendous result for us in Nationwide North. We played some outstanding football against a very good side. You are not going
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10/11/04 - Strongest squad at Lane for five years
MANY will be aware that Saturday's Nationwide North game at Droylsden is five years to the day that I took charge of my first match at Worcester City. I don't know whether it feels like I've been here for 50 minutes or 50 years -- it has felt like both
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3/11/04 - Character is the key in two wins
WE have seen two gutsy performances over the last few days and it was important to call on those qualities if we were going to beat Stafford Rangers and especially Altrincham. There has been plenty of flak thrown at us lately -- our record, as people
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27/10/04 - Frustration after two more draws
IT'S disappointing that we have failed to pick up at least one win from our two Nationwide North games at Southport and Vauxhall Motors this week. We have found ourselves drawing both matches 2-2 -- but there were opportunities to come away with much
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20/10/04 - City injury headache intensifies
IT is unbelievable that I find myself talking about more injuries at Worcester City when we've not had a game at the weekend. I thought we might have been able to enjoy the break away from any fixtures but that has not been the case with the news of Barry
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13/10/04 - Two-week break will ease our injury crisis
WE have got two weeks off until our next Nationwide North fixture against Southport -- but it's a pity it's not two months given our injury situation. What I want is everybody fit and I'm hoping that this fortnight's break gives us the kiss of life in
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6/10/04 - Cup chances go begging
LAST Saturday's FA Cup defeat against Cambridge City was a hugely disappointing day for the St George's Lane club and we are all aware of the benefits it could have brought us had we won. We've been handed tough cup draws for the last three years and
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21/4/03 - Battling display earns its reward
A NEVER-say-die attitude reaped rewards on Saturday with a dramatic late win against Eastbourne. There wasn't a huge amount of quality in our football but I've never doubted the players commitment and we stuck at it right to the end. It is easy to jump
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14/4/04 - Players must get us back on track
WHETHER we like it or not we are in a rut again! As much as we've tried to ensure we avoid a repeat of previous seasons, we find ourselves slipping off the pace again. Although the campaign is nearing its end and the pitches are drying up and everybody
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Droylsden 1 Worcester City 2
Monday, November 29, 2004 STRIKES from Adam Webster and Tom Warmer clinched a 2-1 smash-and-grab win for Worcester City at Droylsden last night in the National Conference Cup second round. City's second November success at the Butchers Arms, which books
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Worcester City 2 Prescot Cables 1
Saturday, November 27, 2004 JOHN Barton could only reflect on the genius of Worcester's City very own cable guy Leon Kelly after his brilliant brace saw off plucky Prescot in the second round of the FA Trophy. City favourite Kelly has been anything but
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31/3/04 - Crawley joy but boost for us too
CRAWLEY were ecstatic after their win on Monday night because it effectively clinched the championship for them. It was an absorbing game that was always going to be nip and tuck. Francis Vines didn't think there was anything in the game and was over
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10/3/04 - Deep satisfaction after five-star win
IT'S always great to win games but there are degrees of satisfaction depending on who the opposition is. No-one will be that surprised then to learn that I felt absolutely brilliant after our 5-1 defeat of Dover Athletic. There's a little bit of history
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3/3/04 - Options increase as subs pay dues
AN outstanding first half display on Monday night not only booked us a cup final place but has also given me food for thought ahead of Saturday's Dover game. If a squad's strength can be measured by its substitutes' bench then I would say ours is looking
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25/2/04 - Pressure mounts as leaders stutter
PRESSURE is creeping in at the top of the table and we could be in for a very interesting finale to the season. The weekend's results just told us what we've known throughout the season, which is that it's an incredibly tight league. With Crawley and
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18/2/04 - Points better than our performance!
AT this point in the season sometimes the result is more important than the performance and that was the case on Saturday. After conceding a late equaliser at Bath City and claiming a hard-earned draw at Tiverton Town, taking three points against Chelmsford
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Southport 2 Worcester City 2
Saturday, October 23, 2004 HUNDREDS upon thousands of revellers flocked to Blackpool Promenade on Saturday intent on catching this year's illuminations. If only they realised that a small corner of neighbouring seaside town Southport was enjoying its
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Worcester City 0 Alfreton Town 0
Friday, October 8, 2004 A BATTLING display from Worcester City earned them a deserved goalless draw with Nationwide North leaders Alfreton Town at St George's Lane last night. It was perhaps not a Friday night thriller, with precious few chances throughout
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4/2/04 - Wings fightback lifts City spirits
IT'S a measure of the progress we've made recently that there was a huge air of disappointment in the dressing room after last night's draw with Bath City. But we have to take the positives from the game and make sure we take the good things that we did
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Worcester City 1 Cambridge City 3
Saturday, October 2, 2004 JEERS and heckles from a section of supporters was the final act at St George's Lane as the curtain came down on Worcester City's limp FA Cup efforts. A murmur of dissatisfaction reverberated around the ground as Cambridge striker
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28/1/04 - Tuohy decision the toughest yet
MICK Tuohy's departure is probably the hardest decision I have had to make in all my time in the game. You are in a position to make decisions and I would like to think I haven't ducked any decisions during my time at the club. There are no hidden agendas
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Ashton United 1 Worcester City 0
Saturday, September 18, 2004 REFEREES are getting blasted left, right, and centre lately. Whether it's for sending off chest-baring players celebrating a goal, or awarding penalties then changing their mind, officials are becoming more the talking point
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7/1/04 - Taking next step is proving tough
IT'S fair to say we've hit a bit of a plateau and the easy bit, in the bigger picture, was always taking the club from a bottom side to where we are now. The difficult part, as we are finding, is the last push where we make ourselves into genuine challengers
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Worcester City 2 Kettering Town 2
Monday, September 13, 2004 A SUPERB display by goalkeeper Aaron Kerr helped Worcester City preserve their unbeaten Nationwide North record in last night's thrilling 2-2 draw with Kettering Town. City had to fight and scrap for a point at St George's Lane
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17/12/03 - Festive fixtures could be crucial
SATURDAY proved to be a decent day for us despite the fact our match with Crawley Town was called off. Results went in our favour with Tiverton, Hednesford and Havant & Waterlooville all drawing and missing the chance to overtake us in the league.
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Runcorn Halton 2 Worcester City 2
Saturday, September 4, 2004 WORCESTER City are still unbeaten but have drawn five of their opening seven games in the Nationwide North. They managed a 2-2 draw with Runcorn FC Halton at the impressive Halton Stadium on Saturday which keeps them in the
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Hucknall Town 2 Worcester City 2
30/8/04 - TWO goals inside the first 16 minutes from striker Leon Kelly gave Worcester City a dream start in their Nationwide North game at Hucknall Town -- but the home side fought back to force a 2-2 draw. City started like an express train and at one
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10/12/03 - City bid to steal march on rivals
WE face a huge game on Saturday against Crawley Town and we've a score to settle after they beat us 4-0 back in August. On the day we were disappointing but you have to give them credit too because they were excellent. Revenge will no doubt be in the
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Worcester City 0 Stafford Rangers 0
Friday, August 27, 2004 WORCESTER City were forced to settle for a goalless draw when they entertained Stafford Rangers in the Nationwide North in front of their biggest crowd of the season so far at St. George's Lane last night. The 1,206 fans saw a
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Worcester City 4 Moor Green 1
Monday, August 23, 2004 TWO-goal striker Adam Webster was the inspiration behind an excellent Worcester City performance at St. George's Lane last night as visiting Moor Green were hammered 4-1 in a Nationwide North clash. Webster produced his best display
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12/11/03 - Time to put run of wins together
EVERY side we play at the moment seems to be finding form and Saturday's visitors Hednesford Town are no different. However we will relish the challenge because it gives us an opportunity to exorcise a few demons following the 5-1 defeat by Newport County
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Worcester City 1 Hinckley United 1
Saturday, August 14, 2004 WORCESTER City's new-look side were forced to settle for a point from their first game in the newly formed Conference North. Visiting Hinckley United proved a tough nut to crack on a boiling hot day in a 1-1 draw at St. George's
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5/11/03 - City need a reality check
IT'S approaching my fourth year back at the club and this is proving to be the most frustrating spell since my return. We want to improve and move the team on to that next stage but for a number of reasons it's proving difficult to achieve not least because
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Worcester City 0 Cambridge City 2
Saturday, May 1, 2004 WORCESTER slid to a disappointing final position of fifth in the Dr Martens Premier Division after their end-of-season slump culminated in another defeat. A tired, listless performance saw them go down at home to a much more committed
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Sutton Coldfield Town 2 Worcester City 1
Tuesday, April 20, 2004 A BARRY Woolley header kept Worcester City's Senior Cup hopes alive last night but manager John Barton was left fuming by some poor defending. Sutton Coldfield Town exploited defensive lapses to plant one hand on the Worcestershire
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Stafford Rangers 2 Worcester City 0
Monday, April 13, 2004 WORCESTER City's hopes of a top three finish are fast receding after a third defeat in four games. Goal-shy City fired a fourth successive blank yesterday as Stafford Rangers chalked up another league double over their rivals. City
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1/10/03 - Early chance to avenge cup loss
FA CUP defeats hurt at the best of times but at least we can ease the pain with swift revenge against Nuneaton on Saturday. The players were bitterly disappointed to get knocked out of the cup but there's no time to sit feeling sorry for ourselves because
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Dorchester Town 3 Worcester City 0
Saturday, April 3, 2004 NOT again! The prospect of another end of season slump reared its ugly head on Saturday with a disastrous defeat at Dorchester. Worcester City manager John Barton ruefully confessed he thought performances of this ineptitude had
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10/9/03 - Football remains a cruel mistress
IF there was any reminder needed that justice doesn't always prevail in football it came at Weston last night and at St George's Lane on Saturday. A less than impressive display against Dorchester ended with us salvaging three points two minutes from
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Worcester City 2 Merthyr Tydfil 0
Saturday, March 27, 2004 A SET of stud marks is the customary calling card of a defender but Allan Davies left an altogether more memorable imprint on Saturday with a stunning goal. His 20-yard pile-driver sparked City's sixth successive home win at St
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3/9/03 - All shook up by Crawley defeat
IT'S been a good start to the season but we've had a roller-coaster seven days with the Crawley defeat leaving us a little shaken. Prior to the Havant & Waterlooville game I would have settled for four wins and a draw from the opening six games -
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Havant & Waterlooville 0 Worcester City 5
Saturday, March 20, 2004 ON a day that gales raged around Britain, City unleashed their own storm-force to destroy Havant & Waterlooville. Making light of possibly the worst conditions they will play in for years, John Barton's team bounced back in
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Worcester City 4 Grantham Town 1
Saturday, March 13, 2004 ST George's Lane is rapidly becoming the hottest ticket in town. Worcester's nightclubs might have the girls but the Lane has got the goals and plenty of them too! Nine goals in consecutive games, a fifth straight win on home
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Worcester City 5 Dover Athletic 1
Saturday, March 6, 2004 IT'S been a while but Adam Webster issued a timely reminder of his talent with a hat-trick, capping a superb afternoon's work by City. Rivals Dover Athletic were destroyed in a five goal burst either side of half-time as recent
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Cambridge City 0 Worcester City 0
Saturday, February 28, 2004 JUST when they needed it, Worcester City's goalscoring touch deserted them. The net result was lost ground in the title race after Cambridge City clung on for a goalless draw. While a point at Milton Road is no mean feat, disappointment
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Tiverton Town 1 Worcester City 1
Saturday, February 7, 2004 SHORT of Elvis pitching up at the Northwick Theatre, it's unlikely you will find a more astonishing comeback than that staged by Worcester City at Tiverton. 'All shook up' by half-time in the face of a fleet-footed onslaught
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Worcester City 5 Redditch United 1
Monday, January 12, 2004 HAT-trick hero Mark Owen fired Worcester City into the semi-finals of the Worcestershire FA Senior Cup. The St George's Lane striker's lethal finishing proved the difference last night as John Barton's side overpowered a spirited
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Worcester City 1 Sutton Coldfield 1 (5-4 pens)
Monday, December 8, 2003 WORCESTER City manager John Barton admitted his side rode their luck to make it through to the next round of the Dr Martens League Cup after a dismal display against Sutton Coldfield last night. The St George's Lane club needed
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Eastbourne 1 Worcester City 3
Saturday, December 6, 2003 ALL eyes were on record signing Jai Stanley but encouragingly it was a few old faces that stole the limelight at Eastbourne. Adam Webster grabbed top billing with a goal and two assists but there was plenty to admire throughout
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Worcester City 1 Newport County 5
Saturday, November 1, 2003 SHOOT yourself in the foot and you are liable to end up with a limp. Do it five times as City managed on Saturday and you will be lucky to be walking at all. Unfortunately for the St George's Lane faithful most of Worcester's
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Worcester City 2 Weymouth 2
Saturday, October 18, 2003 ON the weekend that illusionist David Blaine emerged from 44 days cocooned in a box, City's defence succeeded in twice disappearing in an afternoon. And like the American's stunt at Tower Bridge the feat left Worcester feeling
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Nuneaton Borough 1 Worcester City 0
Saturday, September 27, 2003 THE F-word is never far away when watching Worcester City these days. Frustration dogs City fans like a bad smell and Saturday's FA Cup exit at Nuneaton was a classic hand-wringing, head-clasping, nail-chomping affair as another
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Worcester City 7 Bath City 0
Saturday, September 20, 2003 CARL Heeley will probably need to pinch himself to make sure Saturday's Roy of the Rovers' exploits were not just a dream so if City's captain is reading - yes you did score a hat-trick and yes Bath were indeed blitzed for
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Weston-super-Mare 1 Worcester City 0
Tuesday, September 9, 2003 BAD luck and poor finishing combined to de-rail Worcester City as they lost 1-0 at Weston-super-Mare last night. A fluke goal on the hour defeated City but on their first league visit to the seaside town they ultimately paid
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Worcester City 1 Dorchester Town 0
Saturday, September 6, 2003 THE points keep piling up for top-of-the-table City but pretty to watch they're not. Substitute Stewart Hadley's late strike masked a less than glittering display but if the manner of their play is less than pleasing on the
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Worcester City 2 Hinckley United 0
Monday, September 1, 2003 CITY bounced back from Saturday's crushing de-feat at Crawley with a slightly flattering victory against Hinckley United last night. Goals in either half from defenders Jon Holloway and Allan Davies settled an intrigu-ing encounter
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Welling United 0 Worcester City 1
Saturday, August 23, 2003 WORCESTER City made it two away wins on the trot but made heavy weather of despatching a very ordinary looking Welling side 1-0. Darren Middleton's first goal of the season proved decisive but John Barton's team were once again
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Merthyr Tydfil 0 Worcester City 2
Tuesday, August 19, 2003 ADAM Wilde returned to inspire Worcester City to a 2-0 victory at Merthyr Tydfil in the Dr Martens Premier Division last night. But goalkeeper Danny McDonnell was the hero, saving a hotly disputed penalty. Manager John Barton
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Stourport Swifts 0 Worcester City 3
Monday, August 11, 2003 WORCESTER City signed off their pre-season programme in style last night with an impressive 3-0 victory at Stourport Swifts. First half goals from Leon Kelly (2) and a fine 30-yard strike from Adam Webster sealed victory and City
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Worcester City 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3
Monday, August 4, 2003 FIFTEEN minutes into Worcester City' friendly with Wolves last night and John Barton was feeling distinctly hot under the collar. Sizzling Wolves had scorched through City's brittle defences three times, to leave the St George's
