Saturday, October 5, 2002

RED-card victim Paul Carty sparked a sensational finale as City overcame a goal deficit to inflict a stunning 2-1 defeat on Havant & Waterlooville.

The full back's dismissal, Worcester's second in consecutive Saturdays, followed his foul which allowed James Taylor to put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot.

It provided a late wake up call to a slumbering City who had flattered to deceive for 70 minutes as neat build up play frequently petered out or shots failed to seriously trouble Aaron Kerr in the Hawks goal.

The penalty decision was innocuous enough with Carty adjudged to have impeded Paul Wood but it was sufficiently serious for referee Stephen Phipps to point to the spot and brandish a red card as he deemed the full back's actions had stopped a clear goalscoring opportunity.

By the time a bewildered Carty trudged off three minutes later the clock was showing 75 minutes and the scoreline 1-0 to Havant after Taylor sent Danny McDonnell the wrong way.

It was sink or swim for 10 man City but the sending off spurred City on as McDonnell later admitted.

"I couldn't believe it when Paul was sent off, it was shocking," he said.

"I'm not one to moan about referees but that was a poor decision however it gave us the kick up the backside we needed and we stepped up a gear and I thought we were outstanding in the last 15 minutes."

Two key figures in City's renewed purpose and energy were John Snape and David Holmes who almost single handedly dragged their team-mates back into the match.

While Snape snapped and harried to win the ball Holmes used it to great effect, his silky running skills teasing and tormenting the Hawks' defence.

The equaliser however came from an old throw in routine involving Darren Middleton that despite frequent use over the last season and a half had yet to yield a goal - until now - when his lobbed cross was headed in at the back post by Adam Webster on 79 minutes.

Sensing blood City surged forward and Snape picked out Mark Owen who in turn fed Pat Lyons to release Middleton.

With the ball running across him Middleton swung a left boot which somehow found the net via Neil Champion's leg and the inside of the post to unleash scenes of pandemonium.

Havant, who had battled for most of the match without influential player/manager Liam Daish, were stunned while City were just ecstatic.

It was a remarkable comeback by any standards but even more so with 10 man but no one was complaining least of all McDonnell.

"The winning goal was a bit fortunate but we deserved it, it was a great win," he said. "You get a little bit of luck at the top and it's rubbing our way whereas in the past when we've struggled luck's sometimes gone against us."

City's had started brightly but a Holmes curler and Middleton lob aside had seldom offered a direct threat to Kerr and it was McDonnell who needed to react sharply to deny Warren Haughton after 11 minutes.

Taylor then had a goal disallowed for pushing on 20 minutes as the visitors upped their game.

As a spectacle the game was slowly ebbing away and even when Middleton was presented with a glorious chance to break the deadlock he succeeded in blazing wide.

Holmes probed tirelessly and Owen cut in for a snap shot, forcing a good save from Kerr, but with time and ideas running out the match needed a jolt to bring it to life and Carty unwittingly obliged.

As he exited the pitch few would have hazzarded a guess that his actions had inadvertently lit the blue touchpaper to fire City back to the top of the table but 15 minutes later that was the case.