Saturday, April 22, 2002

AN impressive Havant & Waterlooville edged Worcester City to claim a tight but ultimately comfortable 1-0 victory.

The key difference between the sides proved to be the ease with which possession was maintained on the one hand and conceded on the other and it was City who were guilty of squandering it.

This was a shame because City had in fact produced their best start to a match for a long time with some good movement and bright interchanges allowing Adam Webster to go close with two thumping drives.

However once the Hawks established their superiority on the ball City were left chasing the game and were largely ineffective in the second half.

Up until the goal the mobility of Mark Shepherd and Webster looked like it might pay dividends but the better possession and clearcut chances were at the other end.

After the match City boss John Barton was pleased with the industry of his side but felt aggrieved a penalty appeal had been turned down.

"I can't complain about the way the players applied themselves and though Havant were a good side who were better in possession than us I thought we deserved something from the game," he said.

"However I think today was about the referee. If that wasn't a penalty I've never see one in my life."

One man responsible for City's early inroads was Shepherd but his afternoon came to an end just before half time when he was injured.

Paul Carty was another player on form for City and was unfortunate not to create an opener when he danced to the line and delivered a ball across the six yard box after 12 minutes.

However the home side gradually eased themselves into the match and as they began passing the ball, looked more threatening and took the lead through a James Taylor header in the 20th minute.

The goal rounded off a superb move which allowed Gary Connolly time and space to deliver a dangerous ball to the back post which Taylor dispatched with ease.

He should have had a second a minute later but this time Danny McDonnell saved well at point blank range.

City's keeper then dived low to deny Neil Davis but was powerless to stop Jamie O'Rourke but the striker headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Shepherd's withdrawal at the break prompted a reshuffle by Barton with Darren Middleton moving up front and Leon Jackson coming on to play wide left.

In the early exchanges it's effect was minimal as City strove to get hold of the ball with Marc Burrow and Jon Holloway in central midfield frequently chasing shadows.

Hawks' captain Tim Hambley had the ball in the net in the 60th minute but that was disallowed for offsde and four minutes later City enjoyed a brief purple patch when Middleton's deflected shot almost beat Nicholls and a Webster overhead kick was headed off the line.

Webster was then denied a penalty in the 69th minute when he was bundled over in the box to leave City with grim statistics of four defeats in five matches.