Saturday, September 9, 2000.

WORCESTER City's long wait for a home win is finally over.

After nine fruitless games stretching back over six months, John Barton's men finally cracked their St George's Lane bogey through winger Mike Wyatt's 88th-minute strike to see off Moor Green.

The game was by no means a classic but a win, however it was achieved, could be vitally important as it will lift the pressure that has affected City's performances at home the longer the run went on.

A clean sheet will also do wonders for the confidence of the defence, who had conceded 13 goals in their previous four games, and a third game without defeat has lifted City up to eighth place in the Dr Martens League Premier Division.

Goal hero Wyatt, whose strike was his first for the club, said: "We have not done as well as we can.

"Everybody as a team has been under-achieving, but we haven't exactly had a bad start. Hopefully that win will set us up nicely now.

"With all our injuries John has a hard task, and there is a lot of quality out of the side.

"But everyone is digging in and working hard for each other, the spirit is good and we are all together."

Wyatt admitted he thought he was offside for his goal but added: "Steve Lutz has come on and looked lively and caused them a few problems.

"He won the ball on the edge of the box and it just sat up nicely for me. Those sort of things have gone against us in recent games so we can't grumble."

Barton said: "It was a late goal but we will take that, a clean sheet and three points.

"Until we get our injured players back, most of our quality is sitting in the stand. But we can't accuse the lads of lack of commitment and application, and they have responded well since the Merthyr game. They have kept going and got late goals in the last two games."

Barton also paid tribute to his defence and goalkeeper Danny McDonnell, who came to City's rescue three times with excellent saves.

"Danny has been on the receiving end of individual errors, but he hasn't had a lot to do in terms of what we know he can do.

"Today he has dealt with everything comfortably. He is the best 'keeper in the league. Overall we defended a lot better.

"We now have 11 points from seven games and if we can maintain that average we are looking at a decent points haul at the end of the season."

In front of City's fourth four-figure crowd of the season, newly-promoted Moor Green proved resilient opponents in a game concentrated largely in midfield.

Some sturdy defending restricted City, who didn't fire on all cylinders up front, to a handful of clear chances.

Late in the first-half Martin Weir saw a powerful header from Wyatt's corner cleared off the line by Craig Woodley, while early in the second period Mark Owen's shot on the turn was superbly turned onto the post by former Hereford United 'keeper Andy De Bont.

City looked a lot more solid at the back than in recent games and when the visitors did find a way through, they found McDonnell in unbeatable form, making three great saves to deny Woodley in the first half and Derek Hall and substitute Craig Pountney after the break.

City also had a lucky let-off when they didn't defend a free-kick properly and former Bromsgrove player Richard Softley put a free header wide when he should have scored.

But the game still looked destined for stalemate until City got a lucky break with time running out.

The ball was played into the visitors' area and midfielder Adrian Baddams sliced the ball high into the air. Substitute Lutz did well to win it despite claims for handball, and his pass put Wyatt in the clear, the flag stayed down and the winger slotted past De Bont from close range.