SURELY now the dream really is over.

What was left of Worcester City's play-offs aspirations melted away in the April sunshine at St George's Lane on Saturday.

Andy Preece's side needed a victory to stay in touch but succeeded only in being held by a Gainsborough side not yet certain of playing Nationwide North football next season.

City may have stretched their unbeaten home record to 10 games in 2007, but once again they failed to see off lower-placed opposition on their own patch.

Leigh RMI, Vauxhall Motors and Stalybridge Celtic, all bottom six sides, have also left with a point or better from the Lane in recent months.

George Clegg's well taken goal 60 seconds before half-time looked to be the catalyst City needed to collect three vital points.

But Ryan Mallon produced a tidy equaliser for Gainsborough within four minutes of the re-start and the Lincolnshire-based visitors held on to earn a deserved share of the spoils.

City, missing Adam Webster with a back injury and Adam Burley through suspension, were quick out of the blocks but it was Trinity who squandered two good early opportunities.

Kirk Jackson, who is on loan from Harrogate Town, managed to fire wide with the goal at his mercy after nine minutes before Mallon scuffed a shot horribly off target 12 minutes later.

At the other end, Des Lyttle brought an excellent reflex save out of Adam Sollitt as the goalkeeper tipped the City captain's header over the bar from Tom Warmer's corner.

The visitors were then forced to play for five minutes with 10 men when Charlie Trout suffered a bloodied nose.

Craig Wilding missed City's best chance on 40 minutes, blazing high over the top from point blank range after Chris Smith had nodded the ball into the striker's path.

Clegg forced Sollitt to back track with a speculative effort from 40 yards three minutes before giving City the lead.

The ball dropped to Clegg around the penalty spot and the former Manchester United trainee had plenty of time to beat Sollitt with an exquisite left-foot shot that went in off the post.

However, that lead soon evaporated. With 49 minutes on the clock, Jackson played a delightful pass over the top to split the home defence and Mallon ran on to the ball before lofting it beyond the advancing Danny McDonnell and into the net.

Gainsborough, who later had Jackson booked for kicking the ball away, then made a mess of a good opportunity on 59 minutes.

Mark Danks, who until now had proved a real handful, gave the ball away and Mallon raced clear but tangled with team-mate Liam Needham as he prepared to pull the trigger.

Substitute Troy Wood, replacing Warmer, was given the freedom to run at the Gainsborough defence for the final half-hour and showed glimpses of his worth with some good distribution.

As the situation became increasingly desperate, Preece threw himself and Shaun Findlay into the fray for Lyttle and Nick Colley respectively but neither could turn the game.

Indeed, Preece seemed to find more time to air his grievances of earlier decisions by berating referee Steven Rushton.

Yet, deep into injury time, Smith almost won it for City but his header was expertly tipped over by Sollitt.

City: McDonnell, Ward, Khan, Smith, Thompson, Lyttle (Preece 83), Colley (Findlay 83), Warmer (Wood 63), Danks, Wilding, Clegg. Subs not used: Hodnett, Morrison.

Attendance: 818.