Saturday, October 1, 2005

SCORING is the name of the game -- and that's why goal-shy Worcester City remain stuck like glue in Nationwide North's bottom three.

City were happy bunnies after ramming seven past hapless Bemerton Heath Harlequins in the FA Cup tie of inequality.

But the blitzing of Bemerton is proving an abnormality in a maddening league campaign containing too many close-calls and oh-so-nearlies, explained away again at Giant's Axe in the goalless encounter with Lancaster City.

Just one of those seven strikes would have been enough close to the banks of the River Lune to furnish Worcester with their first three-point haul in six weeks.

Such was the visiting side's fluidity and attacking movement in a purposeful second-half, an away goal looked a strong possibility.

But in the face of presentable efforts for Leon Kelly, Adam Webster and Justin Thompson, Lancaster goalkeeper Tony McMillan collected his clean-sheet bonus.

Putting the ball away is becoming a pain for City -- now the league's poorest scorers with eight goals from nine matches -- and they need to quickly discover their touch with pacesetters Northwich Victoria and Nuneaton Borough next at St George's Lane.

For player-manager Andy Preece, he is concerned about the lack of penetration and final killer ball in attacking quarters.

"I still think there's a lot of things to improve upon," said Preece. "We are still a little bit short at this moment in time. We just can't find that finishing touch or that finishing pass.

"We worked openings and had people running into the box unopposed, but we did not get shots on goal. The quality of the final ball probably let us down a little bit.

"But it's a clean sheet and we have to take positives out of it. We are unbeaten in three games, so that's something to build on.

"In normal circumstances, a point away from home is not a bad result. But we need wins and I'm disappointed we did not get three points.

"It was nip-and-tuck in the first-half. But as the game wore on in the second-half, we were the side that looked like winning the game. We probably just about deserved to win it."

Lancaster Castle, a focal point of the city overlooking the splendidly-named football ground, is currently in use as a prison and crown court.

Worrying then for the many offenders that played their part in a 17th-minute move when Lancaster should have snatched the lead.

Resulting from a free-flowing move down the left, midfielder Andy Scott delivered a peach of a cross into dangerous penalty box territory.

Thompson and Shabir Khan were guilty of ignoring the advances of Nick Rogan, but the striker contrived to head over from six yards.

Then Mike Eckersley clipped a teasing low delivery which Lancaster strikers queued in line to smash home but miss, with Ryan-Zico Black squandering the final opportunity.

It stung City into action. Tom Warmer almost embarrassed McMillan with a low 20-yard drive that cannoned off the 'keeper's chest and Kelly could not poke home the rebound.

Midfielder Liam McDonald, whose recent performances have provided City with a potent threat down the left-flank, then tormented the home defence with two menacing crosses that deserved a finishing touch. Worcester must take heart from an encouraging second-half display when chances came along.

Rob Warner's lob tested McMillan to the full, Webster headed over Warner's cross from eight yards and 16-year-old sub Sam Wedgbury almost repeated his stunning FA Cup strike when, with little time to aim, he fired a right-foot shot that McMillan held.

For one moment, the pressure looked to have counted for nothing as Des Lyttle slipped to allow Taylor through on goal. But Danny McDonnell rescued City with a wonderful reflex save.

Centre-half Thompson was presented with a golden opportunity with seven minutes left, but his volley on the turn whizzed past the post.

CITY: McDonnell, Warner, Khan, Smith, Thompson, Lyttle, Warmer, Hyde, Kelly, Webster (Jones 87), McDonald (Wedgbury 72). Subs not used: Watkins, Wood, Hodnett. ATTENDANCE: 282.