Monday, January 3, 2000

WORCESTER City's six-match winning streak went up in smoke in seven crazy minutes at Tamworth yesterday.

Leading 2-1 with just 10 minutes to go, City conceded two goals in the space of 60 seconds, and a late penalty enabled the in-form home side to win 4-2.

The loss of midfielder Andy Ellis with a broken leg just about set the seal on things for City, who are now out of the Dr Martens League Premier Division relegation zone only on goal difference.

Manager John Barton said afterwards: "It was always going to be tough to get something from here but we got ourselves in a decent position to do it. Another five minutes or so and we could perhaps have seen them off.

"We came in 2-1 at half-time and I thought we were a bit short on our game to start with.

"In the second half maybe we were a little bit deeper, and they do put a tremendous amount of pressure on you at that bottom end. They got a head of steam up, but we were nearly there."

Pressure

Tamworth, who have now won nine of their last 10 matches, had exerted most of the early pressure and in the 22nd minute, Bradley Sandeman flicked a David Foy corner into his own net while trying to clear.

But nine minutes later, Ellis' free-kick was nodded on by Steve Lutz to defender Mark Tucker, whose shot was parried by Tamworth 'keeper Darren Acton but had enough strength to go over the line for his first goal for City.

Five minutes before the break an error by Acton handed City the initiative, his sliced clearance going straight at Lutz who chipped deftly into an unguarded net from 25 yards.

Although Tamworth stepped up the pressure going down the slope in the second half, City resisted manfully and looked perfectly capable of extending their advantage.

They arguably should have done when Keith Knight burst clear of the home defence but was forced wide by Acton and was unable to get in a shot.

That happened while Ellis, who had again imposed his authority on midfield, was flat out on the turf following a crude challenge by home midfielder Michael Gray. He had to be stretchered off after lengthy treatment and City were never the same without him.

Tamworth's pressure paid off on 80 minutes when City failed to clear Foy's left-wing corner and Warren Haughton lashed home the equaliser from close range.

But the killer goal came a minute later when Haughton whipped the ball in from the left touchline and City keeper Danny Watson, perhaps unnerved by two onrushing strikers, allowed the ball to curl into the far corner of the net.

Six minutes later Sandeman completed a miserable afternoon by tugging back Haughton, and former City striker Mark Hallam converted the resulting penalty.

Referee Stephen Bratt, the man whose card-waving arguably cost City a place in the FA Cup first round, decided to keep his cards in his pocket this time apart from booking Gray for the challenge on Ellis, although several other challenges went unpunished and Sandeman was lucky to escape after a touchline clash with Gray.

Worcester: Watson 5, Sandeman 5, Willetts 6, Tucker 7, Weir 7, Cottrill 7, Deakin 5 (Purdie 90), Ellis 8 (Heeley 73), Owen 6, Lutz 7, Knight 6 (Bowen 90).

Star man: Andy Ellis.

Attendance: 1,309.