Tuesday, August 21, 2001

WORCESTER City boss John Barton was fuming with his side after they crashed 4-1 at Kettering Town in the Dr Martens League Premier Division last night.

Poor defending, combined with numerous squandered chances, allowed the former Nationwide Conference outfit to seal a comfortable win.

"We started the game in third gear, didn't lay a glove on the match for 20 minutes and were then chasing the game at 2-0," said Barton.

"We didn't start the game right. Defensively we were all over the shop.

"Unless we get established in our defensive performance we are not going to do anything - you saw it on Saturday and tonight - it is not good enough."

City were under the cosh from the start and were exposed after five minutes when a towering Craig Norman header whistled wide.

But despite swamping the play it was Worcester's Mark Owen who had the best opening on nine minutes. Saturday's hat-trick hero latched on to a Phil Stant pass but his left foot shot from the edge of the box was narrowly wide.

Kettering, however, were not so profligate and took the lead six minutes later when Darren Collins pounced on a Matt Gardiner mistake to break down the left.

He cleverly backheeled the ball into the path of Shaun Murray whose delightful chip proved too precise for Danny McDonnell in the City goal.

As City floundered the Poppies took a grip of the game and doubled their advantage on 22 minutes when Stant lost the ball and Collins was put through one-on-one against McDonnell. But his save was straight into the path of Dale Watkins, who drilled the ball home.

City were finally sparked into life and Darren Middleton had a shot tipped round the post and hit the side netting. In the dying seconds of the half Reed headed powerfully but Ian Bowling made a fine save.

City emerged from a Barton rocket with more energy but despite dominating failed to convert their chances into goals.

Reed missed from eight yards while on 50 minutes Owen scuffed his effort - several other chances went begging.

City paid for their errant shooting when Gardiner's miscued header went straight to Watkins who fed Murray for his second of the night.

Owen pulled one back with a header in stoppage time but Wayne Diuk made it four almost from the restart.

Worcester: McDonnell 6, Davies 5, Gardiner 5 (McFarlane 73), H Heeley 7, Weir 6, Holloway 6, Middleton 6, Ellis 5 (Burrow 67, 5), Owen 6, Stant 5 (Shepherd 75), Reed 5. Attendance: 1,571.

A Lee Goodman brace helped Worcester to a 3-1 win at Bristol Manor Farm in the FA Youth Cup. Dan Parker also netted.