Brackley Town 2, Worcester City 0

IT can be cruel the world of a non-league football manager. Just when you manage to sort out one problem, another raises its ugly head!

City’s management team of Carl Heeley and Matt Gardiner have been at pains to explain how they were tackling the indiscipline in the side that had seen them pick up four red cards in five games.

And their message finally looks to have got through with a solitary booking for defender Alex Gudger the only caution at Brackley.

Now they need to concentrate on obliterating the errors that are costing their side on a weekly basis.

Last week it was Clayton McDonald’s own goal that handed the initiative to visitors, and eventual winners, Chorley. This time two more mishaps allowed Brackley to claim three points which they never deserved.

There had been little to choose between the sides early on with the home side creating the first real chance when a delightful Steve Diggin cross from the right looked destined for the lurking Richard Batchelor only for City’s Sam Minihan to head clear a yard from his own goal-line.

Sean Geddes provided the early highlight for the visitors, somehow managing to control the ball on his chest while sat on the floor.

Gudger picked up his yellow card on 24 minutes, a booking that ultimately led to him being substituted midway through the second half, with the home side duly taking the lead three minutes later.

It was a combination of Minihan and the returning Kieran Morris who were at fault as they failed to clear their lines. Diggin pounced and curled a delightful 25-yard effort beyond Nathan Vaughan and just inside the far post.

The goal spurred the visitors on with Ellis Deeney and Dan Nti trying their luck before the excellent Tyler Weir thundered a shot just over the target from 25 yards.

It was a similar story after the break with City having plenty of chances but all too often they failed to test Dan Crane in the Brackley goal.

Geddes and Nti had wayward efforts from outside the box with Deeney pulling the strings in midfield.

But any positives were soon forgotten when, on 64 minutes, Vaughan failed to gather a corner and former Derby County defender Pablo Mills had the easy task of heading into the unguarded goal.

Weir was inches away from reducing the arrears, a barnstorming run taking him to the edge of the area only for his shot to roll agonisingly wide of the far post.

The closing minutes saw Vaughan block a Diggin effort after he had latched on to a through ball while, at the other end, Geddes had a shot deflected just wide of Crane’s upright.