Saturday, February 28, 2004

JUST when they needed it, Worcester City's goalscoring touch deserted them.

The net result was lost ground in the title race after Cambridge City clung on for a goalless draw.

While a point at Milton Road is no mean feat, disappointment greeted the final whistle at two vital points squandered.

City had emerged from a jaded first half display to lay siege to Cambridge City's goal in the second but despite heavy pressure, and a succession of chances, failed to muster a breakthrough.

Record signing Jai Stanley, who played his best match for the club, felt Worcester had done enough to win it but goalless it remained.

"We dominated the game, second half especially, and we did everything but put the ball in the net," said Stanley.

"In the last 20 minutes they dropped very deep and it was difficult to penetrate them. We were restricted to putting the ball in the box and trying to get something off it. We needed to be playing in behind them but it was difficult because they dropped off.

"It's two points dropped but it's still a point and we're away from home and maybe it's a sign for other things, to go and beat Weymouth for example."

So while title trailblazers Crawley and Weymouth returned to winning form, City had to settle for a draw and extending their unbeaten run to seven.

There was plenty to admire about City, notably Stanley's invention and spark, brilliantly illustrated with a defence splitting pass, perfectly weighted for Mark Owen on 20 minutes, but his curled shot from the right side of the box bent just the wrong side of the post.

Teenager Shabir Khan, in for the suspended Paul Carty at left back, also looked an accomplished performer on his league debut, with an inch perfect tackle inside the penalty area deep in stoppage time, revealing nerves of steel.

But it was in front of goal that City failed to make an impact, despite some good approach play.

John Snape had a number of sights of goal but demonstrated why his goal count registers just two in nearly two years, when he miscued tamely wide on the turn from six yards on 28 minutes.

On 34 minutes Cambridge were within a whisker of scoring when Stuart Niven's clever ball spliced Carl Heeley and Khan, but Danny McDonnell came out to brilliantly block Robbie Simpson's shot.

City's best chance of the game arrived, fortuitously, a minute before the interval when a loose clearance rebounded off Snape into the path of an unmarked Owen just outside the box.

With a clear run on goal, his well-struck left foot shot beat Martin Davies but struck the foot of the post. Owen reacted to pick up the rebound but his angled attempt flew across the goalmouth.

The second half saw a huge improvement in City who added width to their game to carve out upward of a dozen opportunities though Lilywhites keeper Martin Davies seldom appeared seriously troubled.

Penalty appeals for a trip on Stanley on 48 minutes fell on deaf ears but City ploughed on in soggy conditions, worsened by a snow flurry before kick off.

Allan Davies tested his namesake with a low shot five minutes later, while Adam Wilde's dipping effort was gathered at the second attempt.

City put some good passing moves together with Stanley and Pat Lyons and Allan Davies finding joy on the right. Snape benefited from one such interchange on 64 minutes but his well-struck volley from the edge of the box swerved just wide of the right hand post.

Lyons got in on the act with a couple of rasping shots but Heeley, outstanding at the back, went closer, rising highest to power a Wilde corner powerfully down but with Martin Davies beaten his header was cleared off the line.

Cambridge, battening down the hatches for most of the half, spurned a glorious chance on a rare foray with substitute Dan Bloomfield scuffing wide with just McDonnell to beat.

City countered but in a neat summary of their day, Allan Davies's teasing cross eluded both the sliding figures of Adam Webster and Adam Wilde at the back post.

At the end Barton was frustrated but not too unhappy.

"I've watched Cambridge three or four times and they're not a bad side," he said. "We would have liked to have beaten Weymouth but we didn't, or got a point at Stafford in previous years but haven't. They've stretched all the top teams."