Saturday, January 26, 2002

WORCESTER City's four-match winning streak came to rather a tame end as they were held 1-1 by visitors Folkestone Invicta.

City's Dr Martens League Premier Division title odds will have lengthened even further after their failure to see off resilient opponents.

But that was overshadowed by the late dismissal of star midfielder Darren Bullock, along with the man he tangled with, Folkestone goalscorer Matt Bower.

Bullock, who'd given another influential performance, didn't take kindly to a heavy challenge from his opponent and there was a brief, but unseemly, scuffle between the pair.

When things had calmed down referee Patrick Keane showed both men the red card, and Bullock now faces a three-match ban on top of all the club's injury problems.

Manager John Barton, although not happy with Bullock's indiscretion, admitted: "The referee was right. If Darren had kept his cool, then perhaps the referee would have dealt with their player in his own way."

Defender Martin Weir added: "It was just handbags really. Their player was winding a few up, but you just have to get on with it and play the game. We lose him for three games now and it is the rest of us who suffer."

Of the game itself, Barton said: "It was a good point in the end. If anybody, it was the visitors who looked likely to nick it.

"We have been forced to change the side again and perhaps there was a little shortage of legs out there in terms of match fitness.

"Although we scored at a good time, at half-time I had my doubts as the first-half performance was not good enough as a base to go on and improve and win the game. We weren't on our game as we have been for the previous matches.

"But it is important you take something out of these matches and we have done that."

Weir added: "To be fair the conditions played a part. There were a fair few mistakes and a lot of chances, but the result was about a fair one.

"We had a couple of chances early on and if they had gone in then it might have been a different story. We started both halves quite well but didn't capitalise on that and seemed to step off the gas a bit.

"Having won four on the bounce you can't win every game, but at least we haven't lost and it keeps our good run going."

Despite torrential rain for most of the morning, the St George's Lane pitch passed two inspections and held up well, although the heavy conditions hindered City's passing football.

Folkestone's three central defenders also played a big part in frustrating City's front line, while several times their pace in attack caused problems for the home defence.

After Stewart Hadley had been thwarted by 'keeper Dave Wietecha and Marc Burrow had twice headed wide from good positions, Folkestone began to look threatening.

On 32 minutes, the tricky Dave Flemming escaped down the right flank and his cross saw Bower race in unmarked to score with a diving header.

But City were level two minutes before the break when Wietecha could not hold Bullock's long-range free-kick and skipper Carl Heeley slotted in the rebound.

Leon Jackson, returning after a five-week absence in place of 'flu victim Jamie Hyde, was denied by the legs of Wietecha at the start of the second half, while Weir missed by inches with a header from Bullock's corner.

But again the visitors threatened on the break and City keeper Danny McDonnell had to be alert on three occasions, his best save coming when Lee McRobert's drive deflected off the head of City defender Nathan Jukes.