Saturday, January 8, 2005

WORCESTER City's play-off hopes will disappear faster than a 'flu outbreak if they continue to trot out more defensive calamities like this.

A suicidal second-half display led to City tossing away a two-goal lead at St George's Lane -- but it could have been a whole lot worse.

Only the heroics of City goalkeeper Danny McDonnell and a succession of glaring misses late on from Ashton United prevented John Barton's men crashing to their second successive defeat in 2005.

The home side romped into the lead with a Tom Warmer thunderbolt, followed by a second shortly after the interval from Adam Webster.

But the struggling Robins then stunned the Lane with two strikes in three minutes, Paul Garvey first lobbing McDonnell before full-back Andy Thackeray outdid Warmer's effort with a thunderous strike of his own.

No matter how numb the home support felt when Thackeray lashed in the equaliser, their abiding memory will surely be on what unfolded in the final third of the match.

City's performance degenerated into a disorganised mess once the Tamesiders drew level and it seemed a sure-fire bet that the visitors would pounce for all three points.

The biggest guilty party was the defence, which got torn to pieces on every United attack. Carl Heeley and Colin Hoyle can have had few worse days at the office.

However, the whole team failed as one to grab things by the scruff of the neck as Ashton grew in confidence. It was left to the reflexes of McDonnell to salvage a point as a DOZEN shots rained in on his goal within the final 25 minutes.

An even first-half saw Ashton create a great early chance on 24 minutes when Garvey headed into the path of strike partner Ashley O'Leary-Jones, whose one-on-one effort was smothered superbly by McDonnell.

But City grabbed the lead five minutes later with a spectacular 25-yard drive from Warmer which arrowed into the top corner past goalkeeper Danny Trueman.

Full-back Rob Warner almost doubled his side's advantage on the stroke of half-time with another swerving long-range shot, but the ball thudded against the crossbar before United hacked to safety.

Webster notched City's second on 54 minutes although there was a suspicion of off-side as he latched on to a pass down the middle. The former Bedworth United man coolly rounded Trueman before forcing the ball home into an empty net.

Leon Kelly should have killed off the game a minute later after receiving a neat pass from Pat Lyons, but he screwed his shot wide of the post from 12 yards.

Ashton completed their stunning comeback with two goals in three minutes. Garvey set the ball rolling when he sauntered unmarked into the City box before chipping McDonnell from a tight angle into the far corner of the net.

Before City had a chance to regroup, Thackeray smashed a 30-yard screamer into the top corner giving McDonnell no chance.

The visitors then had chance after chance to score a third. Garvey chipped McDonnell again on 75 minutes but the shot landed on the roof of the net.

McDonnell held a stinging drive from Nick Clee on 78 minutes, Phil Cooney shot inches wide from 10 yards and McDonnell produced a marvellous double save from Garvey and William Dolan on 85 minutes.

At the other end, City sub Barry Woolley raced through on goal but struggled to get his shot on target, while in injury time, McDonnell acrobatically tipped over another Dolan effort before turning Fleury's 30-yard drive around the post.

City: HMcDonnell 9, Warner 5, Hines 6 (Lyons 23, 5), Hoyle 4, Heeley (c) 4, Colley 6, Carty 5, Stanley 6 (Owen 72), Kelly 5 (Woolley 85), Webster 5, Warmer 5. Subs not used: Snape, Skyers. Attendance: 805.