Droylsden F.C.-The bloods on the net!

WORCESTER CITY 3 - 1 DROYLSDEN

Nationwide North, Monday 13th November 2006

Report by Gary Owen

Although Andy Preece's Worcester side inflicted further damage on the Bloods' promotion aspirations with this defeat, the game will be remembered for a long time due to a rather bizarre minute early in the game where each team scored a goal.

It occurred in the 13th minute, when Chris Denham lofted a drop ball back towards the Worcester keeper after one of the home side's players had received treatment.

Inadvertently, the ball looped over Danny McDonnell and into the net. The referee had no alternative but to allow the goal, with Denham shrugging his shoulders in disbelief. Very sportingly, however, the Bloods players then allowed Worcester total possession from the re-start with Chris Cornes tapping past a static Paul Phillips.

That meant the score was 2-1 to the hosts, as prior to all of this, Worcester right back Graham Ward had been given the freedom of the Droylsden box to shoot left-footed past Phillips on 8 minutes.

The remainder of the half was an entertaining affair, with both sides asking questions of each other, on a fine playing surface in front of a sizeable and passionate crowd.

However, neither keeper was particularly stretched, until just before the break when Phillips was twice called upon to rescue the Bloods. Firstly, he denied the diminutive Mark Danks in a one-on-one situation, and he then thwarted his strike partner, Craig Wilding, after Carl Ruffer had lost out in a 50:50.

Five minutes after the re-start, Wilding again got the better of Ruffer to unleash a spectacular first time volley, that was met with an equally impressive stop by Phillips.

Just two minutes later, Wilding again found himself bearing down on the Droylsden goal, only for Phillips to dash off his line and clear.

On 73 minutes, Phillips again made a great stop, this time denying Cornes when one-on-one with the type of star-shaped stop made famous by Peter Schmeichel.

However, just a minute later, Cornes did beat Phillips from a tight angle after leading Craig Robinson a merry dance to make it 3-1, with no way back fot the Bloods.

Ten minutes from the end, Droylsden's poor disciplinary record was further tainted when Terry Fearns was dismissed for his second bookable offence.

Saturday's home fixture with fellow promotion hopefuls and old adversaries Hucknall Town now becomes a must-win game for the Bloods if they are to keep in touch at the top of the table and halt this mini-run of bad results.

WORCESTER C.: McDonnell, Ward, Burley, Smith, Thompson, Lyttle, Cornes, Khan, Danks, Wilding, Clegg.

SUBS: Watkins (not used), Preece (for Wilding, 90), Warmer (for Danks, 69), Colley (for Clegg, 14), Traore (not used).

DROYLSDEN: PHILLIPS 8, Williams 7, Warner 7, Robinson 7, Ruffer 7, Lynch 7, Tandy 6, Jagielka 7, Fearns 6, Daly 5, Denham 6.

SUBS: Morris 5 (for Lynch, 85), Burke (not used), Halford 6 (for Williams, 59), Banim 6 (for Tandy, 59), Howard (not used).

SCORERS:

WORCESTER CITY - Ward (8), Cornes (14 & 74)

DROYLSDEN - Denham (13)

REFEREE: Mr. Tony Horton (Wolverhampton, W. Midlands)

ATTENDANCE: 865