4:30pm Sunday 14th February 2010
By Michael Reeves
WHEN you’re fighting for your lives down at the bottom of the table nothing else matters apart from the three points that are at stake when that final whistle blows.
Worcester City are not about to give Holland a run for their money with total football but the manner in which they came back and defeated play-off chasing Woking will have filled all at St George’s Lane with immense pride.
There was nothing pretty about this victory, but a gratifying three points that edged themselves a little further away from the relegation zone in Blue Square South is all that counts.
Carl Heeley’s men are far from safe, they know that, and the caretaker manager will not be letting his players forget it either.
After all when they take to the pitch there is only so much that can be done from the touchline and the players must take a share of the blame for where they are in the table.
But if they can battle like they did against Woking for the remainder of the season then at least things on the pitch won’t be as bleak as they are off it.
This match could have be so different, referee Anthony Coggins appeared to have been given a new whistle and he wanted to use it. The Bicester official blew up for 39 fouls in this fair tempered match, and for some bizarre reason along with one of his assistant referees, disallowed Wayne Daniel’s headed goal for offside that would have given City a fifth minute lead.
But like with most things in life you have to work with what you’re given and it was the Lane men who managed to adjust to the over-officious Coggins better, even if they lost the card count 2-1.
The Cards, after the fifth minute scare, looked intent on delivering a St Valentine’s Day massacre a day early.
Shabir Khan, usually such a solid performer in City colours, saw his poor clearance charged down and allowed Nathaniel Pinney easily go around him.
The Woking striker then rounded Jake Meredith before calmly slotting the ball into an empty net to give the Kingfield side the lead in the 10th minute.
Seven minutes later it was 2-0. Pinney wide on the right delivered an inch perfect cross to the edge of the City area where Guiseppe Sole ran in and fired only a sublime low left-footed volley that left Meredith with no chance.
If City were fighting a losing battle after Daniel’s goal was disallowed in the fifth minute they were now facing a mission impossible, but they came out on top.
Alfie Carter, partnering Rob Elvins in attack, broke free to fire on goal but it was a comfortable save for Ross Worner in the Woking goal.
This was just a sign of things to come from Heeley’s side and on 33 minutes the deficit was halved.
Graham Ward curled in a delightful free-kick that former Aldershot striker Elvins ran in unopposed to head the ball past Worner.
After a first-half that rarely saw the ball on the ground, the second 45 minutes produced some battling football from the hosts.
Having lost their last two outings 3-2, City might have been concerned that they would concede a third, but Woking struggled to find their early form and the hosts were given a sniff of victory and they took it.
Josh Emery, making his second debut for the club since rejoining on loan from League Two side Cheltenham Town, forced a corner. Ward’s flag-kick found Elvins ghosting in and his bullet header hit the back of the net to draw the Lane men level with 25 minutes remaining.
Nine minutes later, Heeley’s team took a stranglehold and edged themselves in front when Aaron Farrell, who had disappointed throughout, picked out Carter and he volleyed the ball home.
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