Saturday, September 1, 2001

WORCESTER City were made to pay for two glaring misses when Newport Isle of Wight snatched a late equaliser in Saturday's 1-1 away draw in the Dr Martens League Premier Division.

And it was Darren Middleton, a hero with a last-gasp winner against Hinckley United, who squandered both opportunities.

Unfortunately for Middleton and City, he had left his shooting boots on the ferry allowing the Port to bag a point.

But Worcester first team coach Mick Tuohy admitted they would have settled for a draw before the match.

"So far this season we've done well by getting points in the last few minutes and by getting points out of nothing," he said. "But before the game we would have been pleased with a point.

"But I think after soaking up some pressure in the first half and going ahead we looked comfortable for 35 minutes and created three or four good chances.

"Nobody intends to miss them and we don't want to stop Darren Middleton from breaking into the box and doing what he's been doing.

"But they scored and could have scored a late winner. Unfortunately Jon Hollo-way suffered a heel injury and in the last 15 minutes he was struggling and that caused us a problem because he covers the ground very well and he'd lost his man. Yes we are disappointed to have dropped a couple of points but I think over the last couple of weeks we've been pleased and since the Kettering game have taken points from every match."

Newport's late strike was a cruel blow for City who had produced by far their best performance of the season.

For 88 minutes of the match they looked like ending the Port's unbeaten home record, which saw them undefeated in last year's Dr Martens Eastern Division promotion winning campaign.

But substitute Steve Leigh pounced on a moment of indecision in the City defence to fire home from close range with two minutes left.

Earlier Mark Owen had given Worcester a 54th minute lead with a low left foot shot.

The chance had been created by the persistence of Jamie Hyde and Middleton who harried Newport's Dave Wake-field who failed to clear when given the chance.

Hyde, in for Ian Reed who failed a late fitness test, crossed for Owen to drill in his seventh goal in five matches.

The home side started brightly and after just six minutes veteran striker, Guy Whittingham, was through on goal but his legs betrayed him and Marc Burrow was able to put in a recovering tackle on the edge of the box.

Four minutes later a dangerous Danny Gibbons cross was flicked off the forehead of Whittingham.

The ex-Aston Villa striker was enduring a torrid time in front of goal and in the 20th minute somehow contrived to slash wide from six yards from a low Gibbons cross.

Worcester hit straight back through Burrow, starting his first league match of the season, whose glancing header struck the post.

Whittingham managed to get the ball in the net on 63 minutes but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Owen's second half goal spurred City on and the striker turned creator in the 69th minute when he found Middleton in acres of space but he blazed over from 15 yards.

With seven minutes to play Middelton played a one two with Phil Stant and raced through on goal but with just keeper Colin Matthews to beat flicked his shot a foot wide of the post.

One pleasing sight for City was the arrival of Ian Cottrill as a 59th minute substitute for Jukes.