MATCH COVERAGE: Worcester City 2 AFC Wulfrunians 2

Dominic Dell and captain Ben Jevons shocked the hosts at the Victoria Ground but Demetri Brown halved the deficit just before the break.

Sean Brain guided in midway through the second half but Wulfs wound down the clock effectively, helped by referee Josh Sudbury’s dithering over decisions both ways to grind out a point.

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REACTION

City manager Ashley Vincent

“I thought we were in a good position for the first goal. 

"To be fair to their lad he turned and hit it really well into the far corner, probably the only place he have scored from with the angle as it was.

“I probably wanted someone a little closer to him on the first touch but the way he took it was fantastic.

“The second goal was disappointing, Jonah (Craig Jones) had the lad held up with his back to goal, he couldn’t shoot but he had two lads lined up for a free shot and we didn’t have a body within five yards.

“As the game is going on, sensing that danger and getting bodies close to opponents is not something that can be coached. We didn’t do that.

“Once you go one down you want to continue to play the way that we were and keep getting higher up the pitch.

“When we do that we will always be dangerous create chances and more often than not pen teams in like we did in the second half.

“We didn’t do that in the opening 45 minutes, it was a basketball game, end to end, and that doesn’t suit us.

“At 2-1 I thought we would win the game, that’s what we have in the dressing room. I have confidence in our quality and character if we go behind.

“We’re a non-stop side but even at 2-0 down with 15 minutes to go I still fancy us to get back into the games.

“I didn’t think our quality was great. It came out in two bits with the goals and we created chances without really working the keeper as much as I want us to.

“We are slightly disappointed. To some people I might sound like a right misery guts, at two down people might think it was a good point but not me.

“I know my team will never throw in the towel or concede defeat and I do have to give them a big pat on the back for that but it is about winning games and for all of us.

"With the mentality I have instilled in that dressing room it feels like a defeat.”

MATCH ACTION

Dell had a golden opportunity when Wulfs broke from a City corner, handsomely clearing the crossbar to let off the hosts.

Dell did not have to wait long for his goal, though, squeezing a precision shot past Dan Jezeph from a narrow angle following a ball across the box.

And City’s deficit was doubled four minutes later, a big deflection on a Jevons shot through a busy box deceived Jezeph and trickled in.

City switched shape and improved, Brown and Chris Withington going close with headers and Sam Hall having a bicycle kick tipped over by keeper Tom Turner.

Liam Lockett found Brown to clear the crossbar from only five yards but the striker made amends by tucking in from Dan Okojie’s perfectly-weighted pass three minutes before half-time.

City almost saw their work unravel within seconds, James Hill forcing a fine low stop from Jezeph before the interval to keep alive hope of a fightback.

There was little incident at the start of the second half but City grew in stature after the hour mark.

A ball was nudged into Withington 15 yards out but he leant back and fired over from a cracking position.

Withington tried to turn provider moments later, looping a cross to the near post that was headed up in the air by Chris Knight for Turner to gather with substitute Jordan Harrison loitering.

Worcester kept chasing but there was a scare on the break, Jezeph producing a flying one-handed save low to his right from Aaron Bishop’s cushioned far-post volley.

City made the most of that with 12 minutes to go, Luke English’s long throw flicked on by a Wulfs head and Brain was there to convert from point-blank range.

Jumaane Meggoe got around Connor Mooney on the break and went down in the box but Sudbury was unmoved by the penalty appeal and City ratcheted up the pursuit of a winner.

Craig Jones crisply met a corner at the near post but Turner grasped it, while Lockett sauntered through unchallenged only to produce a weak finish just as things opened up.

There was one more flashpoint, Craig Gregg grabbed the face of Sam Hall and eventually saw red after Sudbury consulted his assistant.

The melee that followed wound down a few more minutes for Wulfs and there was one more half chance, Brown clearing the crossbar on the half volley from a deep cross headed back into the centre.

City: Jezeph, English, Smith, Jones, Hall, Withington (Mooney, 73), Lockett, Willis (Harrison, 60), Brain (Ebanks, 87), Brown, Okojie.

Unused subs: Hawkins, Bajrami (g/k).

Wulfs: Turner, Gregg, Johnson, Hill, Knight, Jevons, Barrett (Poole, 58), Williams, Dell (Riley-Stewart, 90+3), Bishop.

Unused subs: Horton, Rowley, Wilson.

Referee: Josh Sudbury.

Attendance: 284.

SATURDAY'S OTHER RESULTS

National League North: Gateshead 2-0 Hereford FC, Kidderminster Harriers 0-1 Blyth Spartans.

Southern League Premier Division Central: Alvechurch 0-1 Royston Town, Banbury United 4-2 Redditch United, Biggleswade Town 2-4 Bromsgrove Sporting.

Division One South: Evesham United 1-2 Larkhall Athletic.

Midland Football League Premier Division: Stourport Swifts 4-1 Coventry Sphinx.

West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division: Shawbury United 1-4 Pershore Town, Smethwick Rangers 4-1 Littleton, Worcester Raiders 1-1 Dudley Town.

Division One: FC Darlaston 1-2 Droitwich Spa.

Hellenic League Premier Division: Westfields 3-2 Royal Wootton Bassett Town.

Division One West: Malvern Town 5-0 Stonehouse Town.

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BUILD-UP 

HISTORY favours Worcester City in a first match of 2020 at home to in-form AFC Wulfrunians tomorrow (Saturday, 3pm).

City have taken three wins and a draw from Wulfs over the past two seasons, dropping two points in extraordinary fashion back in February 2018.

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Brad Birch, Dave Reynolds (2) and Mark Danks (2) notched in a 5-0 success at the Victoria Ground in 2017, a match Wulfrunians finished with 10 men.

An own goal and one from Birch had City in control in the return only for Scott Stevenson to score and Jumaane Meggoe to level in added time of a 2-2 draw.

Jordan Harrison and George Forsyth struck in a 2-0 win at the Victoria Ground last term with Harrison’s double sandwiching a Josh Willis strike in a 3-2 success at the Castlecroft Stadium in March 2019.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Highgate United made it 11 points from City’s past six league matches with Wulfs just a point worse off over the same number of Midland Football League Premier Division outings.

A 2-2 draw with Stourport Swifts and a 3-1 defeat at Sporting Khalsa dented a run of three straight wins at Boldmere St Michaels (2-1), at home to Huaghmond (1-0) and at heather St John’s (1-0).

Meggoe is Wulfs top scorer with nine goals from 24 matches.

Tenth-placed City lead Wulfs by three points and two places in the table.