Saturday, February 7, 2004

SHORT of Elvis pitching up at the Northwick Theatre, it's unlikely you will find a more astonishing comeback than that staged by Worcester City at Tiverton.

'All shook up' by half-time in the face of a fleet-footed onslaught, City's recent unbeaten run was hanging by a thread.

Leaden-footed, Worcester simply could not stifle Tivvy's threat, becoming mired in the mud as their hosts mined rich seams down the flanks, their pace cutting the visitors to ribbons.

Only Danny McDonnell's reactions and the width of a crossbar, prevented Kevin Nancekivell and Steve Ovens extending Jamie Mudge's 31st minute goal by the break.

But, with a first Dr Martens Premier Division defeat in five seemingly inevitable, John Barton's team summoned the last vestiges of energy available to rein in and eventually tame a rampant Tivvy.

It was heroic stuff, more so because while only a single goal separated the sides at the interval, it might as well have been five such was the one-side nature of the contest at that stage.

Atrocious conditions and a strong wind handed the Devon side early advantage but so did a tired and one-paced City, their recent good form no-where to be seen.

City's defence was ripped to shreds with Paul Carty run ragged at left-back, the veteran resorting to crude tactics to stop Ovens, earning a yellow card in the process.

However Barton's side is not without resolve, nor the talents of Liam McDonald, who sprinkled a piece of magic over the squelchy proceedings to conjure up a share of the spoils.

The youngster, sacrificed to make way for the returning Jai Stanley, marked his second half appearance with some twinkling footwork and a threaded pass for Leon Kelly to fire in a 63rd minute equaliser.

It capped a remarkable comeback, in spirit if nothing else, following what can only be described as a dreadful opening 45 minutes.

More paddy field, than football pitch, Ladysmead had truly blunted City, leaving them close to sinking without a trace in the mud.

Just a bad case of trench foot, and the prospect of a first defeat in five beckoned as Carl Heeley and his beleagured defence wearily trudged in for a half time cuppa'.

A combination of heavy conditions, and three matches in a week, appeared to have finally taken their toll, as Barton admitted.

"It's alright being critical but that pitch was as close as you get without it being called off," he said.

"The wind was blowing a gale in the first half and I thought three games in a week had caught up with us.

"Tiverton were fresh-legged. They haven't had a game for two weeks, but the fact we came back shows something. It was a hard-fought point but I thought we deserved it and we must make it count by winning on Saturday."

"We weren't right, don't get me wrong, but that was a heavy pitch - a cow field," he added.

While City's second half revival was not of Manchester City proportions, it could yet be as important as their revival continues.

Kelly, his usual turbo-acceleration deadened by the mud, began the fightback, rattling the post just minutes after McDonnell had thwarted David Steele seven minutes into the second half.

Then, as at Bath, Barton made a decisive substitution, introducing McDonald for Snape on the hour mark.

It proved inspired when McDonald danced round two challenges before putting the ball onto Kelly's toes, whose angled shot found the net, despite the best, desperate efforts of Rob Cousins.

Now in the ascendancy, City pressed for a dramatic victory. Mark Owen fired over while substitute Darren Middleton's first touch was a shot that ricocheted to Kelly, whose first time strike was headed off the line by Steve Winter.

A frantic finale saw Mudge denied by an acrobatic McDonnell stop but by then heroic City had done more than enough to complete a remarkable turnaround.