Tuesday, December 7, 2004

WORCESTER City slipped to tenth in Nationwide North last night after crashing 2-1 to Kettering Town with a sorry display at Rockingham Road.

Goals from Jamie Patterson and substitute Jonathan Rowan condemned City to their first league defeat in seven outings, though John Barton's men almost sniffed an undeserved point when Barry Woolley grabbed an equaliser in between.

City lined up with the same side that defeated Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday, but they never came close to registering back-to-back wins after producing one of their worst performances of the campaign.

Barton described Kettering as the best team he'd seen this season prior to kick-off and the Poppies impressed once again on home soil, outplaying and outmanoeuvring a lethargic City throughout, particularly in midfield battleground.

Worcester's best spell came in the first 10 minutes and they had a decent chance to strike early when Woolley met Les Hines' corner with a powerful header which sailed over.

From then on Kettering took control and City goalkeeper Danny McDonnell was called to pull off a top stop, and not for the first time, from midfield Ollie Burgess on 15 minutes.

Tom Warmer wasted a great chance inside the box following Jai Stanley's quick free-kick, then Leon Kelly snatched a volley across the face of goal after Rob Warner's long throw-in.

But Kettering's opportunities were far more clear-cut and McDonnell came to the rescue again on 37 minutes, saving with his legs to deny striker Drew Roberts in a one-on-one encounter.

McDonnell could do nothing to prevent Kettering's opener from Patterson, who intercepted Warner's poor headed clearance before lashing a left-foot shot into the top corner from 30 yards on the stroke of half-time.

Kettering had umpteen chances to double their lead after the interval. Burgess' free-kick on 49 minutes ricocheted against the post and a punt back into the box was headed against his own bar by Woolley. McDonnell then pulled off a fine finger-tip save from Rowan's 18-yard curler and denied Patterson with his legs again.

Against the run of play, City levelled on 67 minutes when Woolley rose above Kettering's defence to power home Hines' right-wing cross.

But Woolley turned hero to villain four minutes later when his attempted clearance was charged down by James Gould, whose pull-back was poked into the net by Rowan.

Amazingly, City almost equalised again with six minutes left when Adam Webster hit the bar with a looping shot over 'keeper Gary Hateley.

City: *McDonnell 9, Warner 5, Hines 5, Hoyle 5, Heeley 5, Lyons 4 (Clarke 79), Woolley 5, Stanley 4 (Owen 59, 5), Kelly 5, Webster 5, Warmer 4. Subs not used: McDonald, Smith, Skyers.

Attendance: 643.