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, both on and off the pitch at St George's Lane, were the overriding emotions in a game that City badly needed to win to restore some of the confidence that has palpably ebbed away in recent weeks.

But the scenes of relief and celebration that greeted Leon Kelly's 73rd minute strike, gave way to cries of 'rubbish' and the odd jeer when Tiverton hit back with two goals in six minutes to grab victory.

Nathan Rudge's looping header and David Steele's clinical finish after some sloppy play near the corner flag left City with a second successive defeat to contemplate and more worryingly a further dent to their seemingly fragile confidence.

However on the balance of chances created it was a fair result with Richard Pears twice hitting a post and Steele thwarted by a brilliant Danny McDonnell stop.

City currently resemble a side with a bad case of stage fright and too many players fluffed their lines for them ever to produce a polished performance despite an attempt at a more measured build up.

Criticism of over use of the long ball had clearly hit home and Worcester attempted, with some success early on, to craft more openings.

Adam Webster thumped Allan Davies's fine cross against the bar in the fifth minute and the same players were involved again three minutes later but Webster dragged his shot just wide.

But if those chances plus two corners inside the first two minutes had hinted at better things to come it proved mistaken.

Despite some bright play by Paul Carty down the left, Worcester flattered to deceive notably Wilde latching on to a Carty pass only to blaze hopelessly over.

City's play failed to match the hot weather, becoming increasingly ponderous, and in the engine room John Snape and David Foy struggled to impose themselves.

Tiverton, themselves hardly in great shape after a poor start to the season, had more success as the game wore on, finding more space and threat behind their hosts lines.

In the 23rd minute Pears mounted a lightning break, not for the last time catching City's defence catnapping but his weak shot wasted an opportunity.

A minute later Steele slalomed through before slipping a perfect pass to Pears whose shot beat McDonnell all ends up and crashed off the post.

Pears flashed another shot across McDonnell's bows as tension increased in the home side's ranks signified by a furious bust up between McDonnell and Carl Heeley. Referee Christopher Sarginson was forced to intervene to calm tempers.

City's keeper managed to keep his cool though to make a fine stop to deny Steele after the break while Heeley cleared a Pears shot off the line after it had bounced off a post.

Substitute Pat Lyons' 53rd minute introduction had already had a positive effect when he surged from midfield to release Wilde whose precise cross was volleyed home from close range by Kelly to claim his first goal in five matches.

But it proved in vain as Rudge's header squared the match three minutes later and then City paid the price for over-elaboration in defence with Paul Chenoweth pouncing on a loose ball to feed Steele to sneak all three points.

"Seven days ago we were top of the league and I admit we have not set the world alight and a number of players are not on form but that's football," said City's assistant manager Mick Tuohy. "On the first half performance we probably deserved to be in front but we started poorly in the second half and probably they just deserved it."