City 0 Vauxhall Motors 0

IF Vauxhall Motors slip back to the UniBond League in April, it may be cause for jubilation at WR1 1QT.

Not just because, for the second time in five weeks, they secured a result that left Worcester City's players smashing their heads against the dressing room walls.

That much can be tolerated, but the cynical manner in which Vauxhall protected a point at St George's Lane left a sour taste in the mouth.

From the first whistle to the last, winding the clock down was their number one objective.

City supporters have seen this before, notibly from Worksop and Hayes before Christmas, but the Motormen took gamesmanship to extraordinary new levels. Wherever they could, they wasted time. At throw-ins and free-kicks, Vauxhall's players at best walked slowly. At worst, they simply couldn't be bothered.

The visitors were doing Vauxhall's proud manufacturing name a disservice. Instead of 0-60 in 10 seconds, this was more like a minute!

Inevitably, City blew a gasket and, even more inevitably, it was assistant Andy Morrison seeing red.

After watching Tim Dittmer labour over a goal-kick, Morrison could stomach no more.

Andy Preece's number two vented his anger at Motors player-boss Carl Macauley as the two clashed eyeball-to-eyeball on the touchline.

Taking almost two minutes to sort out the rumpus -- which probably satisfied Vauxhall -- Les Sinclair dismissed both men.

Granted, rooted Motormen are scrambling for their Nationwide North lives. But their non-stop time-wasting completely ruined the game.

Preece labelled their tactics an 'embarrassment' and slammed Worcester's poor pitch with the same tag as his side failed to out-wit Vauxhall.

The visitors' defensive strategy -- 10 men behind the ball with quick-footed Mark Smyth left alone in attack -- should not disguise the fact that City were also short of attacking ideas.

On a difficult, crumbly surface, the hosts struggled to string together their passing game and, in the second-half, a more direct approach fell straight into the Wirral side's hands.

Despite their efforts, City could not dissect a packed rearguard.

In a dreadful first-half devoid of entertainment, Dittmer avoided any real test until the 24th minute.

After being fouled by John Lawless, Tom Warmer picked out Chris Smith at the far post with a piercing 30-yard free-kick, but the centre-back's bullet-header arrowed straight into Dittmer's hands.

The 'keeper then reacted well to hold Warmer's skiddy 25-yard effort following excellent work by Mark Danks.

Only once did the Motormen pose Danny McDonnell a serious challenge on his goal. After robbing Rob Warner near the half-way line, Robbie Lawton tricked and teased before releasing Karl O'Donnell.

O'Donnell, scorer of Vauxhall's delicious lobbed winner against City at Rivacre Park last month, managed to fire on target from an acute angle, but McDonnell was not beaten this time, tipping over one-handed.

Before half-time, Motors laboured to clear Dennis Pearce's low centre and, from 20 yards, Danks fired a good drive that Dittmer beat away.

Following the Macualey-Morrison fracas, Adam Webster came marginally close to breaking the deadlock.

Between Webster's efforts, Nick Colley collected Preece's knock down, although his flick past Dittmer looped over the crossbar.

City had good penalty shouts turned down in the last minute when Justin Thompson's goal-bound effort struck captain Steve McNulty's arm.

Preece and Thompson screamed blue murder at Sinclair's decision and were even more irate when the official brought proceedings to an end after just 50 seconds of stoppage-time, which was short in the extreme.

City: McDonnell, Warner, Pearce (Khan 85), Smith, Thompson, Lyttle (Kelly 80), Clegg, Colley, Danks, Webster, Warmer (Preece 67). Subs not used: Wedgbury, Walker G.

Attendance: 905