Worcester City 0 Nuneaton Town 0
6:20pm Sunday 20th July 2008
THREE games into pre-season and things are beginning to take shape for Worcester City.
With Jemiah Richards’ signature at the weekend swelling the squad to 16, the recruitment process is nearing completion.
Although his starting 11 for the trip to Bognor Regis on August 9 is far from set in stone, manager Richard Dryden will at least be forming a clearer picture in his mind.
He is likely to know the majority of players who will kick-off the Blue Square South campaign but there are still warm-up games against Kettering, Stourport, Stoke and Rugby for players to put their case.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Nuneaton marks City’s first clean sheet, a milestone for a defence which has been overhauled in recent weeks.
The back-four of Graham Ward, Shabir Khan, Ollie Barnes and Jon Richardson was the same for the third game running and an understanding is beginning to develop.
Dave Bampton was missing from midfield with the ankle knock he took against Walsall, while Matt Dodd got his first run-out alongside Jamie Price and Gary Walker.
However, the most pressing issue to come out of the stalemate was City’s need for someone to put the ball in the back of the net.
The approach play was neat and tidy at times against Kevin Wilkin’s side but the end product was lacking.
Anthony Robinson had City’s first chance when he dragged an effort wide after linking up well with captain Craig Wilding eight minutes in.
However, the hosts would already have been behind by that stage had it not been for a fine reflex stop from Phil Palethorpe to deny Mark Noon at point-blank range. Palethorpe was drafted in at the 11th hour after Danny McDonnell picked up a knock in training.
Opposite number Darren Acton then tipped Price’s strike past the post and later denied Wilding close in.
Dodd enjoyed a good debut on the right of midfield, showing a willingness to take players on, but was rested at half-time in favour of Troy Wood.
City’s best chance fell to Wilding on 57 minutes. Shabir’s weighted pass set the striker clear of the offside trap but Wilding blazed high and wide.
Four more substitutions took some of the cohesion out of the hosts’ play and it was Nuneaton, fresh with 10 half-time changes, who had the better chances late on.
Guy Hadland’s header was excellently pushed out by Palethorpe and the same player went close again from a corner nine minutes later.
Matt Murphy had the ball in the net two minutes from time but his effort was ruled out for a foul. Levi Ramsay also thought he had scored 60 seconds later, only to see the offside flag curtail his celebration.
Kidderminster referee Marvyn Amphlett handled the game well but, friendly or not, should have shown a yellow card to Derek Brown for a cynical barge on sub Ashton Bouf.
City: Palethorpe, Ward, Shabir, Barnes (Richards 60), Richardson (Brown 67), Price, Dodd (Wood 46), Walker (Tyack 77), Wilding, Robinson (Bouf 77), Dinsmore (Gill 86). Subs not used: Edwards, McDonnell.
Attendance: 355.