Monday, December 9, 2002

WORCESTER regained top spot last night with a confidence boosting 2-1 win against rivals Crawley Town at St George's Lane.

The fact there is not much love lost between the two clubs made victory even sweeter, but more importantly the win was a huge psychological boost for John Barton's side.

It proved they can beat the best in the Dr Martens Premier Division and was perfect timing for a City side still smarting after dropping points against Hinckley.

"It was an important result after what happened at the weekend," admitted Barton. "It was a good spectacle for the neutral but a little nerve-wracking for the managers.

"We conceded a sloppy goal and looked a little panic stricken at times. That was reflected in a couple of chances and Danny made a great save at the final whistle."

If the Knitters' result cast doubt on the St George's Lane club's ability to kill off lesser teams, last night showed the team are serious title challengers.

Defensively City were again a little shaky with Allan Davies experiencing a moment of madness as he passed straight to Dave Stevens for Crawley's equaliser.

It was, however, a player not renowned for his technical prowess that earned the plaudits and the points.

Carl Heeley's wonderfully taken goal in the 52nd minute after chesting down and volleying a John Snape free-kick into the corner was a deserved winner.

The initial exchanges were hurried and didn't bode well for the match but it soon became an exciting contest with enough spills to keep a frozen crowd on the edge of its seats.

Adam Wilde's 18th minute goal ignited the contest and his lob to beat Andy Little was perfection.

Buoyed by the goal, Worcester played some fine football but Davies paid the price for being too elaborate. There's a time and place to play but inside your own box isn't one of them and Stevens punished his error with a 28th minute equaliser.

The Reds will reflect on a number of missed chances by Nic McDonnell but his City namesake superbly denied Stevens in the last minute to ensure a well-deserved City victory.

Worcester: McDonnell 8, Davies 5, Carty 5, Heeley 9, Holloway 8, Snape 6, Middleton 8, Lyons 7 (Jones 90), Webster 8, Holmes 8 (Owen 89),Wilde 8. Subs (not used): Charlton, Willetts, Wyatt.

Attendance: 877.