Saturday, December 6, 2003

ALL eyes were on record signing Jai Stanley but encouragingly it was a few old faces that stole the limelight at Eastbourne.

Adam Webster grabbed top billing with a goal and two assists but there was plenty to admire throughout including a gritty performance by John Snape in central midfield.

Stanley settled in well alongside Snape in midfield, producing flashes of his ability but more importantly showed the desire to roll up his sleeves and help his new team-mates grind out an important victory.

The Victorians used to swear by a dose of sea air and Worcester's trip to the coast seemed to have similar galvanising effects.

Mark Owen looked sharp but it was his striker partner Leon Kelly who drew the biggest cheer from the visiting supporters with his first goal in eight games.

Worcester were also required to defend stoically in the second half in the face of swirling conditions that left them always a hoofed clearance away from danger.

The visitors stood firm however with captain Carl Heeley leading by example while the ever-green Paul Carty, back in the starting line up, launched into some crunching tackles.

It was precisely the spirit embodied in Carty's challenges that carried City to victory who demonstrated a real hunger to compete for every loose ball.

And after last week's FA Trophy exit at Marine that was crucial because there was plenty to prove not least about Worcester's battling qualities.

Injury-decimated Borough didn't make it easy either, making the best of a bad lot to provide exactly the kind of awkward opponents that City have so often tripped over in recent months.

They passed with flying colours if not a few nervous moments after Scott Ramsay had cut City's two goal lead in the 50th minute.

Carty eventually made the game safe when he rifled in an Webster cross five minutes from time. The full back was one of three changes made by John Barton who was in the rare position of being spoilt for choice with squad numbers.

Gritty Borough had no such luxuries but in Steve Yates and Matt Crabb had two dangerous runners who kept City on their toes throughout.

City weathered a hectic opening spell before forcing a corner through a dipping Wilde free kick in the 19th minute. In a now familiar short corner routine Allan Davies accelerated into space to drill a low cross into a sea of bodies including the lurking figure of Webster who stabbed in from close range.

Stanley, who on his debut worked diligently rather than spectacularly, almost made a dream start to his City career but ballooned a shot out of the ground following good work by Owen and Carty on the overlap.

It was one of few clear-cut chances in the first half but Webster's decisive contribution had given Worcester an all-important platform to build on.

Webster made another telling move three minutes after the restart to pick out Kelly for the second goal. Kelly demonstrated raw pace and power to shrug off a defender and fire home.

The joy was short-lived however as Stanley was dispossessed in midfield and from the resulting high ball into the box, Ramsay pipped Danny McDonnell to the ball before coolly volleying in.

That led to some fraught moments in the visiting defence not least when a lightning break from a City corner forced Davies to make a rescuing tackle to halt Crabb's break.

Davies was injured in the process and eventually replaced by Dan Parker.

With Borough whipping up a head of steam City's resolve was put to the test but their resilience shone through, with Snape putting in prodigious work-rate to protect his defence. Worcester were finally able to relax when Webster crossed for Carty to meet first time and score.