City 0 Hucknall Town 1

Not the exit track normally heard as the fans file out but one which shows the stadium announcer has a sense of humour.

Perhaps he felt Status Quo's Rocking All Over The World, the usual tune to send the City faithful on their way, wasn't uplifting enough.

Either way, the crowd, what was left of it, needed something to cheer them up on a glorious winter afternoon after the most lack-lustre performance City have produced under Richard Dryden.

Worcester had trailed 2-0 in their last two home games but on each occasion showed the desire and belief to earn 2-2 draws and feel slightly aggrieved they hadn't taken all three points.

But all the qualities that characterised those displays, and plenty more before, were simply not in evidence.

There was no fight, no passion, no creativity and, after going behind to Danny Bacon's 70th-minute header, a distinct lack of enthusiasm to get back into the game.

City were lethargic and seemed resigned to accepting their second defeat of the season to a Hucknall side who had lost their last seven Blue Square North matches.

Their 5-0 humbling in Notting-hamshire back in October proved to be Andy Preece's last game in charge.

Of course Dryden is in no such danger - far from it - but he will be demanding a marked improvement from his players when they visit Nuneaton for tomorrow's rearranged match.

Too many of his team were not at the races against Hucknall. The returning Jonny Harkness was a virtual bystander at left-back, while Emeka Nwadike, once again standing in for injured captain Chris Smith, lacked bite in midfield.

There were some good performances - Matt Dinsmore, George Clegg and Rapinder Gill in the second-half to name three. But they were let down by not everyone around them pulling their weight.

The first-half was instantly forgettable with neither side seriously threatening to break the deadlock.

Indeed, the frustration among the spectators was summed up by one fan heard praising the heavens for the half-time whistle.

City's best chance in the first 45 minutes fell to Dinsmore, starting his fourth consecutive game, who forced keeper Greg Smith to smother his effort when he tried to loft Graham Ward's long pass over the on-rushing custodian.

Ward, hindered slightly by a wrist injury sustained inside 10 minutes, also went close but he mis-timed his run and headed David Burtoft's cross over.

Amazingly, City forced eight corners throughout but missed the left boot of Jamie Price, suspended for five bookings, and the presence of anyone to get on the end of Clegg's deliveries.

Hucknall, flirting perilously with the relegation zone, saw plenty of the ball before half-time but the best they could manage was Bacon failing to convert Ben Saunders' cross-shot.

The second-half was a marginal improvement but only eight minutes of it had elapsed when Ryan Clarke was needed to clear Bacon's shot off the line.

Four minutes later City's best moment came and went in a flash. Clegg floated in a long free-kick and Jon Munday glanced a header against the bar.

Adam Webster, still far from fit following a gashed ankle, then replaced Burtoft, making his full debut, in an act of desperation as Dryden tried to inject some life into his side.

It worked, briefly, with Webster stretching his legs before Nwadike fired straight at Smith and Craig Wilding blazed over.

But from there, Hucknall had the better of the match and took the lead with 20 minutes to go. Jordan Hall crossed from the left and Bacon dived full length to head the ball past Cameron Belford to silence an already subdued stadium.

Troy Wood's introduction three minutes later did little to change things as Hucknall looked to add to their tally.

Belford gathered from both Bacon and Hall but was fortunate when substitute Eric Graves left him on the floor before dallying on the ball and hacking it over.

Hucknall might have been left to rue that late miss but City didn't seem in the mood for a third successive grandstand finish to send the fans home with something to cheer about.