Saturday, December 13, 2003

WORCESTER left the cabbage patch at Sharmans Cross Road to a standing ovation after this effort.

They richly deserved the plaudits but the lingering concern will be that they might regret the one point dropped in this National One clash.

The result of next month's blockbuster with Orrell will reveal just how important that point was in the context of the promotion race but the feeling within the Sixways camp on Saturday night was one of disappointment.

Whatever the emotion, however, it should not be forgotten that this Warriors side were able to travel to a top-three side in a local derby and simply play them off the park. The score-line may not suggest a demolition job but the Bees' promotion hopes were left in ruins come the final whistle.

Two years ago, Worcester would have struggled on such a pitch. They would have used it a ready-made excuse for defeat as they were out-muscled up front. Those days, thankfully, for Sixways supporters are a thing of the past. The pack once again performed superbly, scrummaging the Bees into oblivion and killing them stone dead in the lineout. Craig Gillies was again the main man, head and shoulders above everyone, stealing ball after ball on the Birmingham throw.

For 80 minutes, Worcester never looked likely to concede a try while their discipline was spot on in a match controlled with the minimum of fuss by World Cup referee Chris White. The nature of both side's well organised defences dictated that this was never going to be a try-fest and so it proved.

The Warriors settled first and maintained a vice-like grip on affairs until they took the lead midway through the first half. Following five minutes of pressure on the Bees line with drive after drive pushing them back, Worcester flipped the ball out to Tommy Hayes and his dazzling run put him under the posts for the opener which he then improved.

Hayes then had the outstanding chance of the half to double the lead when, after great work from James Brown, the centre broke through only to realise he didn't have the pace to beat the cover. In the end, his cross-field kick was a mere afterthought and the chance was gone.

The pace that Worcester normally inject into their game wasn't always on show against the Bees but they opened up the second half in electric style. Daren O'Leary was a constant menace to the home side as he joined the line to devastating effect and, with Brown dictating, it seemed only a matter of time before the Warriors extended their lead.

In the end, they were grateful to Gillies once again, on 46 minutes, as he stole Birmingham ball and, after an offside, Worcester added a penalty through Hayes. On the hour, the forwards were once again on the ball as replacement Neil Mason stole possession and that piece of opportunism eventually led to another successful penalty, this time from Brown.

Soon after and the result was put beyond any doubt by the move of the match. Brown's miss-out pass found the on-rushing O'Leary and, following Wes Davies' burst and pass, Ben Hinshelwood stormed to the line for a champagne moment. It was a classic Worcester score and deserved to be celebrated by another two tries at least.

That they didn't come was a disappointment rather than a tragedy. In Worcester's endless pursuit of perfection, the achievements on that road can sometimes be forgotten.

Saturday, however, illustrated how much progress had been made at Sixways. It was a realisation that, at last, this promotion bid could be taken seriously.

Worcester: O'Leary 8; Hylton 6, Hinshelwood 7, Hayes 8, Davies 7, Brown 8, Powell 6; Windo 7, Daly 7, Lyman 8, Gabey 8, GILLIES 9, C Evans 8, Pfister 6, Hickey 7.

Replacements: McAtee, Trueman 6 (Hayes 57), Officer, Hall, Fortey (Lyman), Zaltzman (Hickey), Mason 7(Pfister 50).

Man of the match: CRAIG GILLIES - another stunning show by the big ma