Tuesday, April 20, 2004

A BARRY Woolley header kept Worcester City's Senior Cup hopes alive last night but manager John Barton was left fuming by some poor defending.

Sutton Coldfield Town exploited defensive lapses to plant one hand on the Worcestershire Senior Cup trophy, winning the first leg of the final 2-1 at Coles Lane.

Impressive striker Dean Perrow scored both Royals' goals, pouncing in the 49th minute to fire in a rebound and capitalising on hesitancy in the City back line to drill home his second 12 minutes later.

Woolley grabbed a lifeline eight minutes later when he climbed to power in an Adam Wilde free kick.

Barton, however, was unhappy with both goals, the first that emanated from Jon Holloway conceding a needless free kick and the second when Perrow was allowed to gather a huge goal-kick unchallenged.

"Barry's goal has brought the tie to life again but I was just disappointed with the goals," said Barton.

"I thought we conceded a poor goal on Saturday and we've conceded two poor goals tonight, the second one especially you would be pulling your hair out if you were a Sunday team."

"It was a great header from Barry to put us back in the match and we needed that goal because Sutton have got something to hang on to," he added.

"We've still got an opportunity to do what we set out to do after the Crawley game which was to finish in the top three or four and win the county cup."

City should have taken the lead within three minutes but Leon Kelly fluffed a Wilde cross from less than six yards with the goal-gaping.

The match then developed into a frantic affair that grew increasingly niggly with the Dr Martens Western Division outfit punching their weight against their higher level opponents.

Inadvertently that led to the opening goal when Holloway tangled with Mark Peters on the left. The resulting free kick wasn't cleared allowing Naveed Arshaad a shot which Shaun Hayes blocked with his foot only to send into the path of Perrow.

The goal stirred City but within 60 seconds of Liam McDonald creating a good opening, Sutton were two up.

Goalkeeper Nathan Vaughan saved McDonald's shot, hoofed the ball up front which City's stretched defence allowed to bounce, enabling Perrow to neatly controlled dispatch a low shot in at Hayes' right hand post.

The second leg is at St George's Lane next Monday.

City: Hayes 5, Holloway 5, Heeley 7, Woolley 7, Lyons 5, Wilde 6, Stanley 7, Snape 6, McDonald 8, Owen 6, Kelly 5 (Middleton 58, 6). Subs (not used): Parker, Smith, Skyers, McDonnell.

Attendance: 169.