Stafford Rangers 1 Worcester City 1 (From Worcester News)

Stafford Rangers 1 Worcester City 1

6:20pm Sunday 29th August 2010

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IT is a measure of Worcester City’s early-season success that there was an air of disappointment at Marston Road.

Having won three matches on the spin going into the game —something not achieved for the best part of two years — fans could have been forgiven for getting slightly carried away.

Yet, in the cold light of day, drawing against a team who had themselves only lost once so far this campaign and who had denied City victory in their last five meetings at HQ, this was a commendable result.

After all, it stretched the unbeaten run for Carl Heeley’s team to four games and was another good performance away from St George’s Lane.

It was also a fair outcome — Worcester played better in the first-half and Stafford were on top in the second.

Matt Birley struck for the visitors, his second goal in under a week following his strike against Hinckley United, before Chris Sterling equalised 10 minutes after the break.

That goal came following a momentary lapse in what was otherwise City’s best defensive display to date, coming with Tom Evans and Jamie Price deputising ably for the injured Rob Elvins and Shabir Khan.

There was also a fine performance from Tom Thorley, playing against his former employers, as he pulled the strings in midfield.

Following a slow start, the game sprang to life in the 16th minute as City took the lead.

Price’s free-kick, won for a foul by Craig McAughtrie on Mark Danks, was punched clear by keeper Lee Evans as far as Birley on the edge of the area and he steadied himself before drilling the ball low into the bottom corner.

City, with skipper Graham Ward restored to the side following concussion, were comfortable throughout the first-half and won the majority of midfield battles with Thorley and Danny Glover, another ex-Ranger, particularly alert to seize possession.

Heeley’s men would also have had a second goal on 27 minutes but for an offside flag triggered by the untimely intervention of Mark Clyde.

Thorley’s free-kick found Evans on the right edge of the area but his goal-bound volley was touched over the line by the assistant-player manager, under pressure from skipper McAughtrie but also standing in an offside position.

It was tough on City and would have given them breathing space against a side struggling in front of their own fans.

The visitors also crafted several other openings before the break, Neil Cartwright sending over a couple of teasing crosses from the right flank but failing to find his team-mates on a similar wave-length.

Stafford, though, were afforded occasional forays forward and Tim Sandercombe was forced to save a low drive from Levi Reid nine minutes before half-time, while Sterling also sent a drive inches past the upright.

Danks should have increased City’s lead soon after the interval but, having danced delightfully past both McAughtrie and Andre Francis, dallied for too long and lost control.

It proved costly as, with Sandercombe already having saved Kevin Mellor’s bicycle kick, McAughtrie was left unmarked at the back post from Mark Dudley’s free-kick and his header across the box was turned home by Sterling.

Stafford were much better in the second period but Price had a 77th-minute free-kick saved for the visitors, who threw on Marc McGregor to add a bit of strength in attack.

Opposite number Sandercombe then demonstrated the good and bad points of his game within the space of a few seconds.

The keeper flapped at Fabrice Kasiama’s corner but, from the second flag-kick, produced superb reflexes to tip Mellor’s header over.

There was still time for Danks to waste a free-kick in a central position, firing tamely over the bar, while Reid blazed off target at the other end to signal a draw.