Saturday, December 16, 2000

ILKESTON Town must be sick of the sight of Worcester City midfielder Steve Lutz.

His late goal -- the only one of Saturday's Dr Martens League Premier Division clash -- meant it was the third successive season that Lutz had scored the winner against the Derbyshire side at St George's Lane.

He also scored in City's 4-2 win at Ilkeston back in September, and so clinched their second league 'double' of the season.

The goal was a scrappy affair and much in keeping with the rest of the game, which City dominated but struggled to break down an Ilkeston side who played for 80 minutes without a recognised goalkeeper.

But it was enough to restore them to winning ways after last week's costly defeat at leaders Burton, and lifted them back up to seventh place in the table -- still seven points adrift of Burton..

City could also take great heart from the display of debutant full-back Allan Davies, signed on a month's loan from Burton.

He defended confidently, was always a threat going forward, and came very close to marking his debut with a goal.

Davies was satisfied with his own contribution, saying afterwards: "Having not played for five or six weeks, I was a little bit worried about my fitness going into the game but I think it went OK.

"From Burton's point of view they want me to go out and get competitive games. John Barton has a few injury problems here so it seemed an obvious move.

"I have always got on well with John and wherever he has been he has had a good track record. They are a good set of lads and they have made me feel very welcome."

Deserved

Of the match, he added: "Taking into account last week's game, which I watched, this one was very similar.

"Both teams worked hard but you do start wondering if you are ever going to score. But we kept going and deserved it in the end.

"If you had offered us a 1-0 win before the game we would have taken it, and three points is a boost going into the Christmas period."

Barton said of his newcomer: "I was not surprised. I have seen him do that on a more than regular basis over the years.

"He hasn't had a lot of football for the last month or so but he has come out of it well. It was a neat and enthusiastic performance with a fair degree of class and polish."

Of the overall display, he said: "It wasn't a classic goal to settle it but neither was it last week at Burton. We fell the wrong side of it then but we got the break today.

"I don't think we put the 'keeper under any undue pressure and when we did he looked quite competent. I think they worked very hard to protect him from certain situations.

"It took us a while to adjust to the system but I thought we played quite well in spells."

With injuries ravaging the squad, Barton recalled Martin Weir as a third central defender, utilising Davies and Nathan Jukes as wing-backs and playing Lutz, Paul Carty and Ian Reed across midfield.

But the pattern of the game was set the moment that Ilkeston 'keeper Andy Love suffered a groin injury as he attempted a clearance. He was unable to continue after lengthy treatment and defender Paul Challinor took over between the sticks.

From that moment Ilkeston's chief priority was to protect their stand-in 'keeper, which they did well to frustrate City.

Even when they did get a sight of goal, Challinor showed himself to be no mean 'keeper. He tipped over a rasping 25-yard drive in the first half, made his best save early in the second when Jukes was put in the clear by Mark Owen's pass, and also reacted well to deny Owen and Davies, the latter on one of his many dangerous forays forward.

Owen was perhaps fortunate to still be on the pitch at that stage, having reacted angrily to a heavy challenge from visiting defender Gary Middleton by shoving his opponent crudely to the ground. Referee Harjender Singh booked both players although Owen was lucky not to see red.

His strike partner Micky Cotter again made little impact and once again, teenager Wesley Joyce looked more threatening after replacing him as substitute.

At the other end Ilkeston posed little threat with the three centre-backs doing their jobs well, and Danny McDonnell had so little to do he could easily have gone Christmas shopping and not been missed.

His only scare came when a fierce shot from striker Jamie Clarke fizzed into the side netting.

But just when City fans had resigned themselves to the embarassment of failing to beat a stand-in 'keeper, City finally got a break with eight minutes remaining.

Challinor had saved from Davies to concede a corner, but he came for Reed's flag-kick, failed to get to it and Lutz headed home via a defender on the line.