Monday, February 25, 2002

THE record books show Worcester City have not beaten Hednesford Town at St George's Lane for 64 years and John Barton's side never looked like ending that statistic in a dismal 1-0 defeat last night.

A Danny McDonnell blunder on the stroke of half-time handed the relegation-threatened Pitmen the points as a lack-lustre City failed to threaten the visitors' goal.

Indeed it was not until the 92nd minute that City forced Mark Gayle in the Hednesford goal to actually make a save when Darren Middleton cut in to fire a left footed shot at the goalkeeper.

City captain Carl Heeley described the performance as dreadful and it is hard to argue with that assessment. "We did reasonably well for the first 20 minutes, but for the remaining 70 minutes were dreadful," said Heeley.

"We had a lot of possession in their final third but didn't make them defend a cross all night. Danny felt he should have dealt with the goal but it is just one of those things -- everyone makes mistakes."

The home side had in fact started brightly with the returning Darren Bullock spraying passes around and Allan Davies whipping crosses in from the right. But a Leon Jackson hooked shot and a looping Jon Holloway header high over the bar were the sum total of their efforts.

After 20 minutes the fizz had evaporated from the City play and passes started to go astray as Bullock and Holloway surrendered the middle ground.

Giant striker and former City trialist Kevin Francis was also proving a handful up front for Marc Burrow and Carl Heeley and should have done better with a header on 19 minutes which was comfortably saved by McDonnell.

The warning signs were there for City, however, and twice Paul Carty had to make last ditch tackles to thwart Derek Rae, brother of Wolves' star Alex.

The breakthrough came in first- half stoppage time when Dean Craven's hopeful left-wing cross deceived McDonnell and looped over his head into the net.

Rae came close to adding a second in the 53rd minute when he poked a Francis nod down inches past McDonnell's left hand post.

City continued to plug away but Adam Webster, Hadley and Middleton all ballooned shots high over the bar.

In the dying minutes the ball fell free to substitute Dwaine McFarlane, but a desperate block denied the winger, leaving The Pitmen to savour a vital victory and City to contemplate another year without a home win over their rivals.

City: McDonnell 4, Davies 8, Carty 7, Heeley 7, Burrow 7, Holloway 5, Jackson 6 (McFarlane 61, 6), Middleton 5, Bullock 6 (Jukes 79), Webster 7, Hadley 5. Attendance: 803.