City 0 Northwich 1

WORCESTER City produced their best display of the season on Saturday but still ended up with nothing for their efforts.

Leaders Northwich Victoria left St George's Lane with three more points after a fortunate 1-0 victory in a competitive Nationwide North encounter with the winner coming from a deflected shot shortly before half-time.

Nineteen places separated the sides in the table at the start of the day but, on the evidence of this 90 minutes, there is very little to choose between them.

Indeed, had City enjoyed a little bit more luck, then they would have surely stopped Northwich recording their 12th successive victory in all competitions.

The home side went into the game having made one change from the side that knocked Tonbridge Angels out of the FA Cup last weekend.

Sixteen-year-old Sam Wedgbury was handed his debut in place of Tom Warmer, who was suffering from a mystery virus, but it was not to be a day for the teenager to remember.

Wedgbury clashed heads with his own full-back Rob Warner in only the sixth minute and was carried off on a stretcher to be taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

But fortunately he returned shortly before the end of the game, having not suffered a serious injury.

Defender Danny Hodnett came on to replace him in an unfamiliar position in midfield, but the youngster, normally a central defender, hardly looked out of place.

Hodnett impressed alongside the outstanding Graham Hyde, City's man-of-the-match, and Liam McDonald, who himself was not expected to play due to an ankle injury, but proceeded to produce another encouraging performance.

City also looked very solid at the back with the trio of Des Lyttle, Justin Thompson and Chris Smith getting better and better with every game they play together.

The home side started brightly and both Smith and Adam Webster came close to giving them the lead.

But Leon Kelly joined Wedgbury in casualty, again with a head injury, and player-manager Andy Preece replaced him.

Preece's first involvement in the game saw him fire a 30-yard free-kick straight at Kris Rogers in the Northwich goal. City continued to do most of the pressing but, against the run of play, Northwich scored what was to prove to be the only goal of the game in the 42nd minute.

Paul Brayson's 25-yard shot took a wicked deflection off a City defender and looped into the top right-hand corner of the net.

City made a slow start to the second-half, but from the moment Lyttle headed a McDonald free-kick wide at the far post, they once again took control of the game with Northwich limited to rare attacking moments.

In one of these, Jon Allan might have done better but his lob failed to trouble Danny McDonnell, who had little to do all afternoon.

In the final 15 minutes of the game, City twice came close to grabbing the equaliser, which would have been the least they deserved.

Webster's header was tipped over the crossbar by Rogers and then substitute Jimmi-Lee Jones got in behind the visitors defence.

But Jones shot narrowly wide of the far post and City were left to reflect on what might have been.

CITY: McDonnell, Warner, Khan (Jones 80), Smith, Thompson, Lyttle, Wedgbury (Hodnett 8), Hyde, Kelly (Preece 24), Webster, McDonald. Subs not used: Watkins, Skyers.

ATTENDANCE: 951.

n Redditch United slipped below City in the table after a 3-0 drubbing at high-flying Stafford Rangers.

Stafford scored through Neil Grayson, Danny Edwards and Nathan Talbott, while Redditch twice went close with headers.