Carshalton 0 Worcester City 4 (From Worcester News)

Carshalton 0 Worcester City 4

10:20pm Tuesday 26th January 2010

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MARC McGregor scored twice as Worcester City booked an FA Trophy last 16 showdown against Kidderminster Harriers with a commanding 4-0 win at Carshalton.

McGregor pounced 13 minutes before the break to set Carl Heeley’s side on their way and doubled the advantage in the 63rd-minute before Marco Adaggio and Rob Davies put the game beyond doubt to earn City a vital £6,000 in prize money.

But Carshalton will be kicking themselves after hitting the woodwork twice before City took the lead and seeing Craig Faulconbridge smash a penalty against the crossbar moments before McGregor netted his second.

That won’t bother City or the large contingent of travelling fans, who braved the freezing conditions in south London, however, as they prepare to welcome county rivals Harriers to St George’s Lane on Saturday.

Shabir Khan returned to the team but caretaker manager Heeley named himself among the substitutes due to injuries to Matt Birley and Mark Clyde, while Gary Walker was unavailable.

Carshalton, who earned this replay with a 1-1 draw on Monday, January 18, started strongly and it needed the woodwork and keeper Jake Meredith to come to City’s rescue early on.

Wayne Daniel, normally so reliable, was guilty on three occasions as Heeley’s men struggled to settle. With just six minutes gone, the former Stafford skipper let in Richard Jolly but the striker pulled his shot across the face of goal.

Soon after, the centre-half lost out to Jolly in a similar position and this time Meredith was forced to make a good block and smother the ball.

Daniel then conceded a free-kick on the edge of the area and Kenny Beaney crashed his curling effort against the frame of City’s goal.

Worcester then began to find their feet and Alfie Carter’s left-wing cross was diverted agonisingly wide by Rob Elvins, playing in the midfield of a 4-4-2 system.

But the visitors again had Meredith to thank in the 28th-minute as he somehow managed to claw the ball away after Faulconbridge’s header had cannoned off the post.

City, though, made the Ryman Premier Division side pay by taking the lead four minutes later. The Carshalton defence made a hash of clearing the ball, it fell to McGregor and he lashed it beyond Nick Hamann.

The hosts began the second-half strongly and central defender Justin Roberts drilled a fierce strike inches over Meredith’s crossbar within seconds of the restart.

Francis Vine’s side were handed a way back into the game in the 58th-minute when skipper Tom Kemp was judged to have fouled Jolly in the area. Faulconbridge stepped up but his spot-kick hit the bar and went over.

It proved costly as, within seconds, City had gone up the other end and McGregor bagged his second with a fine finish from 12 yards.

As Carshalton committed more men forward in search of a way back, Carter was afforded acres of space down the left and he squared the ball for Adaggio to net the third on 70 minutes.

McGregor was denied a hat-trick by keeper Hamann with 13 minutes left but Davies added a fourth in the final minute with an angled drive from the right side of the area.

City: Meredith 7, Ward 6, Shabir (Dinsmore 81) 6, Wilding 6, Daniel 6, Kemp 6, Davies 7, Elvins 7, McGregor 8*, Adaggio 7, Carter 7. Subs not used: Spencer, Bridges, Fitzpatrick, Heeley.

Attendance: 259.

Referee: Chris Powell.

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