SO HOW’S that glass looking? Half full or half empty?

Murmurs greeted the final whistle on Saturday but an expectant City crowd refrained from adding to the single cry of rubbish.

PLAYER RATINGS: City 1 South Normanton 1

AS IT HAPPENED: City 1 South Normanton 1

Perhaps that was because for all of the disappointment, Worcester outplayed their lowly opponents with 11 and 10 men, showed the fight missing at Shawbury and created a glut of openings.

The result could and should have been as one sided as most anticipated but for the one thing that drains hope of City dominating at this level.

As chance after chance went begging, the sucker punch felt inevitable. Somehow, you just knew City would pay the price for not scoring a second and so it proved.

And it was not like the warning signs were not there with penalty scares in each half and a close shave moments before the leveller.

City have the capability to score three, four or more most weeks but for the closer matches or days like Saturday, that insecure loose back door needs a stronger latch.

Based on his 44-minute return, Wayne Thomas could be the answer but Worcester must now get through three matches without him after he became embroiled in an avoidable situation.

His red card a minute before half-time did not help matters, of course, but it was not telling as Worcester proceeded to pummel South Normanton 1-1.

City began brightly with Lee Hughes incensed to see his fourth-minute penalty appeal waved away having chopped inside clumsy left-back Sam Groves.

South Normanton carried a sporadic threat but City led when Josh Sarmento played Hughes down the right and his low cross saw Alex Tomkinson overpower his marker at the far post to coolly notch his third goal in four matches.

Deliveries kept coming from a bewildered Groves’s side with Dave Reynolds firing into the arms of keeper Darren Keeling before he teed up Hughes to lash wildly high and wide from a delightful curved ball into the edge of the box.

The visitors offered more power than panache, gradually working their way into the contest and forcing a trio of corners that resulted in Thomas’s early exit.

While waiting for the third set piece, referee James Lunn blew up and pulled out Thomas and Tom Leighton, brandishing red having spotted a raised arm.

Rather than sit back, joint-boss John Snape utilised the 3-4-2 formation implemented at Shawbury and Worcester remained on the front foot.

Sarmento rippled the side netting within 12 seconds of the restart before Hughes frustratingly overhit a right-wing cross with Reynolds waiting alone and six yards from goal after a slip from Marc Strzyzweski.

Sarmento leaned back at the wrong moment and side footed over from six yards a Hughes delivery before Reynolds uncharacteristically fluffed his lines in front of an open goal having rounded Keeling with Strzyzweski sliding in to save the day.

The tide briefly turned with Kane Jellyman glancing a fraction wide with Luke Crosby seeing his own credible claim for a spot-kick turned down as he hit the deck while turning Mark Smith.

But Crosby was not done and waltzed in from the left all too easily, picking out Sam Kellogg for a tap in with 10 minutes to play.

City tried but any pressure lacked punch, the equaliser seemed to kill all cohesion as two precious points slipped away.