Saturday, November 6, 1999

IF Worcester City can learn to play for a full 90 minutes they will soon start shooting up the Dr Martens League Premier Division table.

Having taken a 2-0 lead and looked comfortable in doing so, they went to pieces after conceding a goal and in the end were grateful to hang on for a 2-2 draw at bottom club Crawley Town.

It was the seventh time this season that City have led a match but failed to win it.

More seriously, they have taken only two points from three successive matches against fellow sides in the bottom six, and that is not good enough.

Midfielder John Deakin, who scored City's second goal, said afterwards: "In the last three games we have dominated possession, and today we got ourselves in front and then the old problem arose again.

"We don't seem to be able to handle it when the opposition try something different. Once they got the first goal we looked as though we were going to struggle, which we did.

"But we are playing some good stuff. We are looking as though we are going to develop into a decent side at times, and then lapse back into old habits."

After two early escapes, a reshaped City side took control against a nervy Crawley outfit.

They were in front on 13 minutes when Paul Carty's pass picked out hard-working striker Mark Owen, who took the ball wide of Crawley keeper Andy Little and slotted home from a narrow angle.

On the half-hour Mark Tucker, who marshalled the defence very well, sent in a long free-kick which was nodded down well by Owen for Deakin to blast home his first goal for City from 20 yards.

Owen and Andy Ellis also missed good chances before the break, and at the start of the second half Ian Cottrill had a shot cleared off the line and Paul Davies' header from the follow-up was well saved by Little.

But on 57 minutes City's defence failed to pick up big striker Francis Vines at a corner, and he headed across goal for John Ugbah to scramble one back.

From then on it was backs to the wall for City as Crawley began to find space down the flanks, particularly through nippy substitute Nigel Brake on the left.

Vines headed against the post after again being 'lost' at a free-kick, but with six minutes left, goalkeeper Danny Watson, who was otherwise very solid, was unable to claim a free-kick from the left and Ugbah got the finishing touch again to equalise.

City had to hang on but almost grab a winner on the break, substitute Nathan Jukes having a shot blocked and the rebound deflected over the bar.