Saturday, November 4, 2000

MARK Owen emphasised his value to Worcester City with a hat-trick to take them comfortably into the second round of the FA Umbro Trophy.

City's leading scorer took his goal tally to 14 this season with three clinical strikes to see off Mangotsfield United 3-0 at St George's Lane on Saturday.

They can now look forward to a second round trip to Ryman League Premier Division side Hendon on December 2, having safely avoided the prospect of going out of both major cup competitions in successive weeks.

For Owen the hat-trick took his City total to a highly impressive 70 goals in only 125 games.

He said afterwards: "I was very pleased with the hat-trick, especially the first one which was a well-worked move. We played it through the midfield, it was a good cross and I just got on the end of it.

"A win was the most important thing today after what happened last weekend. We have followed the Hampton defeat up with two good wins and hopefully it is out of our systems now.

"They have come here and made it very difficult for us early on, but once we got the first goal and got our noses in front there was only one winner."

Manager John Barton was delighted with his star striker's contribution. "His performances of late have been quite strong and he has deserved that today.

"But he is capable of going on and improving from that. He shouldn't be satisfied with what he has done today -- there is potential to do even better."

Barton was understandably in a completely different mood than he had been after the Hampton game.

He said: "At 3pm it was a difficult tie against an unbeaten side at the top of their league.

"They started brightly and had plenty of decent possession in the first 25 minutes, but Danny McDonnell hasn't had a great deal to do.

"Goals change the course of games and our first one settled us down and it was quite a good goal too. Mark got in a great header coming in front of the centre-back.

"We have had a tough week and after last Saturday there was a possibility of us going out of three cups in seven days, which blows a hole in your season. But we have responded well."

Mangotsfield, unbeaten in the Dr Martens League Western Division this season, were looked upon as highly dangerous opponents before the game, played on a pitch in perfect condition despite the week's downpours.

But, after their bright start, they were never allowed into the game by an efficient City performance, particularly at the back where Mark Tucker and Carl Heeley kept a tight rein on prolific strike pair David Seal and Darren Edwards.

City took time to get going themselves but spirits were lifted by a fine 38th-minute opener.

Ian Cottrill, whose industry in midfield was another prominent feature, won the ball well and fed Ian Reed on the left wing. Reed crossed and Owen stole a yard on his marker to glance home a fine header.

Cottrill was again in the thick of the second goal, 12 minutes after the break, when he was pulled back by visiting defender Gareth Loyden as he tried to reach Reed's right-wing free-kick.

Mangotsfield protests were in vain and Owen confidently despatched the penalty into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Five minutes later it was game over when Micky Cotter's blocked shot fell into the path of Steve Lutz, continuing gamely despite needing four stitches in a head cut during the first half.

Lutz's shot was well parried by 'keeper Steve Weaver but the rebound fell straight to Owen, who completed his third hat-trick for the club from close range.

Had City been more ruthless they could ended up with a flood of goals, Owen missing at least two chances to create even more headlines.