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 controversial dismissal for scything down Tommy Taylor.

Strikes from Paul McNally in the first half and Ian Johnson at the death settled this second round tie but McDonnell's red card in the 54th minute tilted the tie firmly in the Mariners' favour.

City wilted as an attacking force thereafter, noticeably weakened by Darren Middleton's withdrawal to make way for substitute keeper Shaun Hayes, who made a favourable impression including a penalty save from Paul Proctor.

Mark Owen nearly conjured up a goal late on with a lob that clipped the bar but even allowing for the fact they were down to 10 men, the second half was an uninspired affair for Worcester whose shape and purpose seemed to fly out of the window.

Frenzied endeavour is one thing but a lack of width and scope to seriously infiltrate Marine's back lines restricted openings to a minimum.

It was however McDonnell's marching orders that left an indelible print on proceedings.

Taylor clearly went tumbling over McDonnell but it was his momentum not the keeper that sent him sprawling. Referee Ian Siddall saw it differently but it was interesting to note that when Dan Parker chopped down Black to concede the penalty no card was brandished.

Afterwards McDonnell - as honest a character you will find in the game - insisted there was no contact but however vociferous the protests they failed to spare him the indignity of an early bath.

It was the game's big talking point, and just 10 minutes into the second half, left City the task of fighting for parity with just 10 men - a difficult but not impossible task.

But while Siddall conveniently fulfils the role of scapegoal, the root of McDonnell's mad dash out of goal was a poor back pass by Allan Davies, who had otherwise defended stoutly.

Defeat brought the curtain down on an ill-fated journey north that City, fresh from splashing out a five figure sum on Jai Stanley, had hoped would be the start of a money-spinning Trophy run.

However the course of a football season, like true love, seldom runs smoothly and as often of late, City were once again left nursing a broken heart.

Marine, as stodgy and difficult to break down as the meat pies on offer at the ground, were always going to be tough but an already sizeable task was increased threefold by the elements.

But initially City rose to confront the challenge head on, making light of playing in the face of pelting rain, strong wind and at times piercing sun.

Until McNally's 36th minute goal City had arguably been the better of the sides with some decent chances to show for it too, notably Carl Heeley and a Barry Woolley effort cleared off the line.

But Marine, aided by the wind, employed a more direct tactic which yielded increasingly rich pickings for the pacy Dean Thurston and Neil Black behind City's lines.

From one such break Thurston combined with Black down their right flank to set up McNally who rose above Barry Woolley to loop a slightly deflected header over McDonnell into the corner of the net.

Adam Webster's hit back almost immediately with a header cleared off the line but a creeping inevitability was stalking the tie.

McDonnell's early exit merely hastened events as City slowly but surely slid out of the game. Barton's team chased the game in haphazard fashion, riding their luck as gaping holes appeared at the back, but it was failure to clear their lines that allowed Johnson to wrap up victory.