Saturday, March 11, 2000.

IT is a measure of Worcester City's recent improvement that they can come away from a game at title-chasing Bath City disappointed not to have won.

City's battling qualities were again to the fore as they pulled off a 1-1 draw at Twerton Park against a side who have lost just one Dr Martens League Premier Division game all season.

They created arguably the better chances, having recovered from going a goal down, and can surely look forward to cementing their safety in the coming weeks if they can repeat this type of performance.

Manager John Barton said afterwards: "It was an outstanding result for us against a good side, and it could have been an even better result with the chances we have had.

"The two games against Bath have been very similar. We have had good chances and haven't taken them and have ended up dropping points."

Mark Owen, ploughing a lone furrow up front, stretched Bath's defence with his strong running and only blotted his copybook by missing two great chances to add to his goal from the penalty spot.

But it was in defence that City really earned their corn. Mark Tucker and Martin Weir were outstanding yet again in the centre to quell Bath's dangerous strike force, while the recalled Carl Hee-ley also did sterling work in midfield.

Bath had shaded the first half play without threatening Watson, although Owen had the best chance when Ian Cottrill's pass found him unmarked but he shot wide.

But the home side took the lead in bizarre fashion in the 56th minute.

Worcester 'keeper Danny Watson, who had been lucky to escape censure when he tumbled over Mike Davis early on, did not take kindly to a lunge by Bath substitute Rob Skidmore as he collected the ball, and appeared to throw a punch or an elbow as Skidmore came back past him.

All hell broke loose as referee Mike Gooding awarded a penalty and then showed Watson a yellow card when most people felt it should have been red. Martin Paul's poorly-struck spot-kick then crept under Watson's body.

Barton viewed the incident as follows: "I asked the ref how he saw it. Danny was fouled the first time and the referee has admitted that and penalised the second offence."

But six minutes later Mr Gooding evened up the score when he penalised a clumsy challenge by home defender Colin Towler on Owen, who picked himself up to send Bath keeper Elliott Jackson the wrong way for his 26th goal of the season.

After that Worcester looked the more likely side to win the game, and in stoppage time they should have done so when Owen shook off the attentions of Towler but shot straight at Jackson from an angle when a square pass would have left Nathan Jukes with an open goal.