6:10pm Sunday 7th March 2010
By Steve Carley
JUST when you thought Worcester City had wrestled the advantage in the relegation scrap, they shoot themselves in the foot.
Carl Heeley’s team may be four points above Lewes, who still have a game in hand after their 1-1 draw with Basingstoke, but this was an opportunity spurned to open a commanding gap in the battle for survival.
Hampton and Richmond, one place higher in Blue Square South, were nothing special and were forced to play the entire second-half with defender and captain Dean Wells in goal following an injury to keeper Matthew Lovett.
Yet City struggled to put them under any serious pressure and ended up losing to Barrie Matthews’ penalty six minutes from time. To add insult to injury, Rob Elvins got involved in an altercation with only seconds remaining of a feisty affair and was shown a straight red card for violent conduct.
It was the second time this season Elvins had been sent off against the Londoners and, like Shabir Khan against Newport County, appears not to have learned his lesson.
Perhaps more worrying, however, is the fact City once again failed to win back-to-back league matches for the first time this season.
Having followed up their stunning comeback at Lewes with a well-deserved victory over Maidenhead United, everything was set for Worcester to break their duck.
But, as they have demonstrated on many occasions, stringing results together is a problem for them.
The crowd had even been swelled by an extra 150 off the back of the Maidenhead victory, yet the fans had little to get excited about. However, that didn’t look like being the case early on as, with six minutes gone, Craig Wilding flicked on Graham Ward’s corner and Matt Dinsmore headed just wide.
Heeley had named an unchanged team from the one victorious against the Magpies, retaining Dinsmore up front with Wilding and being able to pair skipper Tom Kemp with Wayne Daniel in defence despite injury concerns.
Ward then showed his tenacity, sprinting back to supply a vital interception after the dangerous Lawrence Yaku had got clear on goal. But it was the hosts who had the upper hand and, in the 22nd minute, Wilding’s close-range shot, following Gary Walker’s long throw, allowed Lovett a routine save when the striker might have done better.
Drama unfolded soon after as winger Tom Beahon clattered into the back of Lovett in mid-air, leaving the keeper pole axed on the deck. Lovett struggled on but was clearly in discomfort and, with five minutes still to go in the first-half, was unable to continue.
With no replacement keeper among their three subs, Hampton manager Alan Devonshire opted to bring on in-form midfielder Dave Tarpey and put Wells in goal.
Surely now City would fancy their chances of picking up a crucial three points?
Wells, though, had other ideas and the makeshift stopper flung himself to his right at the start of the second-half to tip Dinsmore’s effort past the post.
Dinsmore and Walker both fired wide as the hosts tried to keep the pressure on Wells but it was opposite number Danzelle St Louis-Hamilton who suddenly found himself in the thick of the action.
The on-loan Stoke custodian came sliding out to meet Tarpey, got nowhere near the ball and was fortunate not to send the player flying. Before long, Alfie Carter had joined Marc McGregor, a half-time replacement for Kemp, in the attack as City became increasingly desperate to break the deadlock.
Then came the decisive moment. Craig Dundas burst into the area and went sprawling as several City players tried to tackle him.
Despite protests, the referee awarded the spot-kick and Matthews sent St Louis-Hamilton the wrong way.
With time running out, Heeley’s team grew increasingly frustrated and tempers began to boil over. McGregor and Daniel were both shown yellow cards and the crowd were incensed when appeals for a 92nd minute penalty were waved away after Elvins, now operating as a makeshift centre-half, had gone down in the area.
But there was still time for more drama. With seconds remaining, a mass brawl broke out following a free-kick, during which Elvins was adjudged to have hit out at an opponent and was sent off.
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