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 a magnificent seven.

The phrase 'point of no return' may be a little dramatic but after being jeered off the pitch last week and losing on Tuesday night, make no bones about it, Worcester were staring down the barrel of a loaded gun and the safety catch was off.

Alan Pridham's Bath City had gathered to spill yet more blood on a traditionally favourable hunting ground and buoyed by a victory over Stafford Rangers clearly fancied their chances.

Worcester in stark contrast were seeking to dispel growing fears of just where this team was going following a run of three successive defeats.

Manager John Barton was under the cosh - no doubt - and while he professed no feelings of pressure, the St George's Lane boss had been needled by some of the flak directed at his team and needed a swift reversal in fortunes.

At the other end of the spectrum, fans paying nearly a tenner for a ticket wanted some return for their investment after being distinctly unimpressed with the quality of football dished up so far this season.

This was reflected in a gate of less than a 1,000 for the second match in succession so the stakes at 3pm were probably as high as they have been for a long time at the Lane.

On Friday City's assistant manager Mick Tuohy had gone so far to admit that the prospect of facing Bath, on the back of their poor run, was tantamount to entering the lion's den.

So it proved but it was Pridham's Romans side, containing ex-City midfielder Mitch Counsell, that were torn, limb from limb as Worcester chalked up their highest league win since an 8-0 demolition of Folkestone in 1986/87.

Four up by the break with strikes from Heeley (two), Holloway and Kelly, City were rampant. More importantly their confidence was sky high and reflected in some brilliant passages of play.

Cynics might point to Bath being plain bad but this after all is a team that had beaten Phil Robinson's highly-rated Stafford in midweek so were no mugs.

From the start City looked sharp and prompted by the assured David Foy, carved up the Romans at will, initially on the break but more and more by the quality of football they were playing.

Pat Lyons and Foy directed operations, seldom giving a ball away, while the quick darting figure of Adam Wilde sought to waltz through at every opportunity.

Leon Kelly had the look of a King Cobra, except twice as fast and even more deadly, while Adam Webster's awareness and hold up play presented a myriad of chances.

But it was Heeley that made the crucial breakthrough, expertly stabbing home a Foy corner after seven minutes.

Failure to take early chances has been integral in City's recent demise but with a vice-like grip on the game there was little danger of any mishaps this time round.

Kelly's pace engineered a fatal cock-up between Jim Rollo and keeper Mark Bryant to make it two on 17 minutes but better was to come when Jon Holloway climbed to power in a Wilde corner just before the half hour mark.

Heeley's deft finish to round off a Wilde piece of skill, made it four on 33 minutes, and even had Barton on the pitch applauding the goal.

It sent City into the break with more goals than they've managed in their last four games but more importantly with their self-belief restored.

Further second half goals including a fine solo effort by Kelly and a Wilde free kick in the 90th minute reflected that but it was Heeley's hat-trick in the 61st minute that met with the biggest cheer as the crowd rose to applaud an awesome captain's display.