Saturday, April 3, 2004

NOT again! The prospect of another end of season slump reared its ugly head on Saturday with a disastrous defeat at Dorchester.

Worcester City manager John Barton ruefully confessed he thought performances of this ineptitude had been firmly dumped in the past.

Unfortunately not it seems and in a poorly refereed match, City didn't even win the bookings count, with the Magpies edging that by five to four.

Barton admitted the display had been a 'big step' backwards for a side that had come so far in recent months and was confidently talking up a runners-up challenge.

"I thought we had got that level of performance behind us to be honest," said City's boss.

"Within two or three minutes of the kick off I knew we just weren't at the races. The goal didn't surprise me but there was no need for the free kick which went in too easily for me.

"The second goal nobody picked up the late header. The chance we had was a penalty but we were short all over the park. The changes we made during the game had no impact either. I'm struggling to name a player that's earned his shirt today.

"There were unforced errors, mistakes and I'm bitterly disappointed with the first goal. We didn't defend well. Clearly what they wanted to do was put the ball over the top and chase willing causes and we didn't stop them doing that."

Kicking into the teeth of a blustery gale put City on the back foot from the off and alarm bells starting ringing after just four minutes when Barry Woolley conceded a needless free kick, tugging at Matt Groves' shirt.

Justin Keeler made the reckless Woolley pay, rifling in the resulting set-piece from a central position two yards out, with Danny McDonnell barely moving.

The muscle-bound David Laws missed two good opportunities to double the lead but slack play by City enabled the Magpies to add a second on 28 minutes. Its source was another free kick which was head back by Andy Harris for Alex Browne, drifting unmarked into the area, to acrobatically bicycle-kick in past McDonnell.

City, fielding two changes to the side that lost to Crawley, had Paul Carty back at left-back and Liam McDonald in for John Snape in midfield, looked one-paced and flat. Only Leon Kelly, demonstrating his customary maximum effort, emerged with any real credit.

Perhaps it was a reaction to the Crawley defeat, or underestimation of a side with the worst goals against record in the Dr Martens Premier Division but either way a malaise descended over City and they failed to shake it off.

There was a lack of urgency, inability to win the ball, distribute it to any telling effect, let alone create a goalscoring chance of note.

There was a glimmer of hope just 33 seconds after the break when Jai Stanley, who had been an infuriating mix of the casual and sloppy, superbly picked out Adam Wilde who was brought down inside the box.

But Wilde's poor penalty, lacking conviction and purpose, summed up City's afternoon perfectly and was gathered easily to his left by keeper Craig Bradshaw.

Barton made a double substitute bringing on Snape and Jon Holloway on 58 minutes, revamping to a 3-4-3 formation but though that added a more competitive sheen to the contest it didn't alter how badly City were playing.

Barton's third substitution Darren Middleton flickered brightly but had nothing tangible to show for his efforts. Snape was butted to the ground by Harris as the match grew increasingly niggly but the defender was let off with just a yellow.

City had their own escape on 75 minutes when Carl Heeley, playing his 473rd game to go second in the all-time appearance stakes, slipped to put in Browne but he hit the post. Two minutes later James Brown thumped in a third after Laws had exploited acres of space behind the City rearguard.