Saturday, August 13

WHAT a painful start for Worcester City -- and a glorious one for old-boy Christian Moore.

There was a certain sense of inevitablity that Moore would come back to haunt his former club.

And he did so at the earliest possible opportunity, executing City with two headed goals at Rockingham Road to leave Andy Preece wondering whether it was wise to let the little man go.

Substitute Barry Woolley gave Kettering the jitters with an injury-time consolation, but the Poppies comfortably held firm.

To add insult to injury, City full-back Les Hines was stretchered off during the second-half with a broken nose.

At first, it was thought Poppies debutant Moore would not play after being sent off in pre-season.

Worcester will surely now be cursing the decision by the Northamptonshire FA to begin his lengthy ban on September 5.

The 32-year-old was never the most popular player at St George's Lane, his relationship with City supporters at best luke-warm and at worst turbulent.

Moore was not afraid to let his feeling known towards the City boo-boys. After opening the scoring for the Poppies, he riled the drenched away support behing the goal with a cocky, statuesque pose.

The response was recipricol, the travelling contingent taunting him whenever he touched the ball. On his substitute exit with 25 minutes remaining, they refused to share in the home support's appreciation.

Kettering grabbed the points for their incisiveness in front of goal, while City failed to sternly test goalkeeper Mark Osborn but for pockets of set-piece pressure towards the end of both halves.

Preece will be glad that one of Worcester's most difficult fixtures is now out of the way.

But areas must be improved on, particularly the link between midfield and attack. Otherwise another former player, Hinckley United's Carl Heeley, will be winning his contest against old team-mates tonight.

Preece said: "We dominated Kettering's front two and Mooro has got away twice and fair play to him. They very rarely looked as though they would break us down.

"You are almost sure he was going to score. But the goals were self-inflicting and Mooro was Johnny-on-the-spot, which is what he is paid to be.

"They were both from a yard out and we have to defend better than that. Fair play to him, he's worked hard to get fit and he deserves any success he gets."

Moore enjoyed his first magic moment in the 19th minute, coming about after Jai Stanley recklessly fouled Brett Solkhon close to the corner flag.

Ollie Burgess looped in the resultant free-kick, ignored mysteriously by a static City defence, and Moore dived low to head over the line at the far post.

Danny McDonnell palmed the effort away from the net, but the assistant referee ruled that the ball crossed the line.

Rob Warner was presented with a decent chance to fire Worcester level on 26 minutes, but his shot was blocked after Adam Webster flicked on Nick Colley's cross.

Kettering survived a series of corners from Hines and, three minutes after the interval, Moore further twisted the knife.

Impressive Junior McDougald was suspected of elbowing Hines down the left-wing as he delivered a great chip that floated over McDonnell on to Moore's head from close range.

Preece came on to beef City's threat up front and the boss threatened on 78 minutes with a scuffed shot, while Webster's 20-yarder was pushed around the post by Osborn.

Woolley, a substitute for trialist Justin Thompson, added respectibility to the scoreline when he planted Liam McDonald's corner into the net.

City: McDonnell, Warner, Hines (Preece 52), Smith, Thompson (Woolley 60), Lyttle, Colley, Stanley (McDonald 60), Kelly, Webster, Hyde. Subs not used: Warmer, Jones.

Attendance: 962.