SAM Gilder’s second-half howler proved costly as Worcester City slipped to a third straight home defeat – a 2-1 setback against Boldmere St Michaels.

REACTION & AS IT HAPPENED | City 1 Boldmere 2

City had much the better of the opening 45 minutes but fell behind to a controversial penalty awarded when Levi Andoh, making his senior debut, stretched to pinch the ball away from winger Luke Shearer on the edge of box. Rikardo Reid rolled in the spot-kick.

Nyeko Sinclair smashed the crossbar from point-blank range moments later but City still managed to level within seven minutes.

Chris Withington’s initial shot got blocked before he rifled inside Lewis Fenney’s right post from 20 yards on the back of good build-up play from Liam Lockett and Ethan Moran.

Moran then missed a sitter, getting thwarted by Fenney at the near post one on one and City struggled to find the same fluency after half-time.

The sucker punch came when Owen Parry launched a long free-kick into the box from just behind the halfway line with Gilder misjudging the wind-assisted flight to allow it to sail into the net 19 minutes from time.


Cameron Gayle’s thunderous late block tackle on Withington was punished by a straight red card 17 minutes from the end but City failed to muster a credible push for an equaliser.

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THIRD HOME DEFEAT IN A ROW, TO 10 MEN. HOW BAD WAS IT?

The first half was not bad at all, in fact it was pretty encouraging.

City had looked like they had the weight of the world on their shoulders in the previous setbacks but that was not the case here. They were bright and had a go at Boldmere, even after going behind and probably should have been 3-1 up at the interval.

The second half was a different story, the cohesion went but City still had more of the territory. Neither side was up to much in the wind and rain and this would have been a draw but for a clanger.

HOW BAD WAS THE SECOND GOAL?

There is no escaping it, Sam Gilder got it all wrong.

The wind might have played a part but the look on Parry’s face and the one plastered over Gilder’s said it all.

Still, let’s not forget some of his heroics in recent weeks. He has banked more points for City than he has been responsible for losing, that’s for certain.

HOW BAD WAS THE REFEREE?

Man-in-the-middle Lewis Mountain had a pretty bad day.

Some of the calls he got hammered for were actually spot on but the criticism had already started coming because of some strange decisions before that.

Boldmere had a stonewall penalty waved away for Liam Lockett’s push on Ben Usher-Shipway around a minute before getting one that looks soft on the replay.

Levi Andoh seems to get a flick on the ball, although getting caught down the side like that so soon after City had got away with one invited such a decision.

Sending off Boldmere’s Cameron Gayle seemed harsh, it was an overzealous tackle but not off the ground. It was late and a bit daft but a yellow card would probably have sufficed.

Generally, Mountain missed a few cynical swipes and seemed to struggle with the pace of the game. It led to frustration building throughout which showed in the behaviour of both teams.

WHO STOOD OUT?

Chris Withington again stuck to what he knows, playing it simply and snapping into tackles while also adding a bit of verve to the attack.

While the rest were off colour to varying degrees, the efforts of Kaoui Attoumani, Luke English, Jordan Harrison and Liam Lockett should again be applauded.

WHAT NOW?

There was promise in this performance, certainly far more than the past two at the Victoria Ground.

Yes, City still desperately need a barking dog of war but this was an improvement on what we saw seven days previously.

The only danger with results as they are is malaise setting in – it is important the younger players do not enter next season bogged down by losses at the end of this.

STAR MAN – CHRIS WITHINGTON

Again he was the only City man to play to his capability and added a goal for good measure.

Seems to be the only player unaffected by the recent slump and acts as the driving force. It can only be hoped there is no lasting damage from the tackle that saw him and Cameron Gayle head off early.

HOW THEY RATED

City: Gilder 4.5, Andoh 5 (Lawrence, 76, 5.5), Sinclair 4, English 5, McFarlane 5, Withington 7.5* (Lemon, 76, 5), Weir 5.5 (Bates, 63, 5), Attoumani 6, Harrison 5.5, Lockett 5.5, Moran 5. Unused subs: Birley, Evans.

Boldmere: Fenney 6, Gayle 5, Mitchell 5.5, Parry 6.5, Craven 6, Lyng 6, Usher-Shipway 7 (Byrne, 89, 6), Shaw 6.5, Reid 7 (McGinnell, 76, 6), Skinner 7.5, Shearer 7 (Simpson, 82, 6). Unused subs: Burgess, Buttery (g/k).

Match rating: 4.

Referee: Lewis Mountain, 4.

Attendance: 241.