Heroic Hartley gives City second leg advantage

Match Report by Lewis Howarth

Worcester City hosted Great Wakering Rovers at Sixways Stadium in what was arguably the biggest game in the club’s recent history. 3189 supporters arrived at Sixways in what was also the highest attended game this season.

The game started with both teams looking for an early lead. City’s first attempt at goal came after six minutes with Adam Mace picking out Jordan Lymn, but his effort was fired over the bar. After twelve minutes City thought they had their opener, when Kyle Belmonte’s chip to the back post found Kyonn Evans, but his effort only found the side netting.

City continued to create chances. In the 22nd minute Belmonte played Jordan Lymn through one on one, and he managed to squeeze the ball past the keeper, but with not enough power on the shot his effort was cleared off the line. Four minutes later, another exceptional long pass from Mace found Liam Lockett who fired his effort just wide of the far post.

It was in the second minute of added time that Sixways fell silent. A mistaken pass from Kirk Layton allowed Elegushi for Rovers to pounce and run through one on one with Haydn Whitcombe. Elegushi drifted round Whitcombe with Sixways stunned. His touch though was slightly too heavy and took him wide, and he attempted to pass the ball back across the box, but Whitcombe heroically recovered to intercept the pass. A huge let off for City heading into half time.

City started the second half on a mission to get the first goal of the tie. After five minutes Mace picked out Belmonte, who fired a long range effort just wide of the post. The second half continued to be a cagey affair with both teams working hard to create chances, but in the 66th minute City found the back of the net. Chris Knight headed home from a deflected corner from Adam Mace. Sixways erupted but their celebrations were cut short with the referee disallowing the goal for an apparent foul on the goalkeeper, much to the disillusion of the majority of fans in the stadium.

Despite this, City persevered and in the 77th minute the thousands in attendance got what they came for. Logan Stoddart passed the ball to substitute Elliott Hartley, introduced for Liam Lockett who didn’t seem to recover from a nasty tackle, who cut inside from the right and curled his long range effort into the top corner, giving Luis Shamshoum in the Rovers goal no chance. Super sub Hartley had fired city into the lead as Sixways exploded.

Six minutes later, City had a great chance to double their lead. Substitute Dylan Hart’s header flicked to the back post and landed to Izak Reid, but a slight slip as he shaped to shoot meant that his effort was fired just over the bar.

With the second leg in mind, City continued to attack to gather a greater advantage. In the second minute of added time, Dylan Hart rose from a corner and had his effort tipped over the bar by the Shamshoum.

The referee blew for full time and City were backed with a standing ovation from the thousands in attendance, with a big second half of the two-legged tie set to take place in Great Wakering next Saturday.

City’s attention now turns to their away game at Thornbury Town this Tuesday. Following this weekend’s Hellenic Premier Division results, City require just one point to be crowned champions.