Saturday, March 2, 2002

THE unlikely boot of Mark Shail completed a spirited comeback by Worcester City to defeat King's Lynn 2-1 and restore some pride to the club after a slump in form during the previous two matches.

John Barton's opposite number Tony Spearing had paid the ultimate price for a string of poor results for The Linnets, sacked on Friday, and Shail heaped on the misery with a rare goal and winner from six yards.

But if City had ideas their opponents were going to be easy prey after Spearing's departure they were in for a rude awakening.

This came shortly after kick off when the home side, battling and scrapping for everything, won a free kick in the fifth minute, enabling Zeke Rowe to climb and head home from close range.

The dream start almost turned into a fairytale four minutes later but Paul Hudson somehow contrived to bobble another Adie Hayes cross wide from just six yards for an amazing let off for City.

Rattled and duly stirred from their slumbers, City set about showing some spirit of their own to quell the battling Linnets and duly levelled in the 13th minute through a superb Darren Middleton strike created by Adam Webster's neat lay off.

Steve Wilson, who earlier in the season had watched helplessly as Middleton ran half the length of the pitch to slide the ball past him for a memorable goal, was again powerless as the midfielder's rasping shot from 15 yards lashed the net.

With confidence on the up City started to benefit from Barton's decision to revert to a 3-5-2 for this crunch clash, and Middleton, Webster and Stewart Hadley took advantage of the extra numbers to break at pace.

Despite each carving out opportunities to grab a second, however, the decisive goal came from the most unexpected of quarters in the 23rd minute.

Darren Bullock's dipping free kick from the left created panic in King's Lynn six yard box and with the defence rooted to the spot, the alert Shail poked home.

The remainder of the half saw further chances for City but despite counter attacking well could not find the killer pass to find a third, with Middleton guilty of slack finishing when he casually shot straight at Wilson in the 36th minute.

Webster, in outstanding form, continued like a man possessed to harry King's Lynn and almost added a third in the 63rd minute when he pounced on a mis-hit clearance by Wilson, but his shot was parried onto the bar and the striker's follow up rolled just.

Middleton, looking his sharpest since his comeback, also went close with an exquisite chip and after the match was delighted with the win.

"We needed it after last week's games but having lost their manager their lads were up for it and it was a difficult game for us," he said.

"But we showed a lot of guts and after two bad displays this was a great win."