WORCESTER City will start 2014 in the relegation zone following a 1-0 home defeat to rivals Gloucester City at Aggborough on Saturday (January 28).
Connor Waldon scored the only goal of the game with a superb first-half volley and, despite a handful of chances wasted by the hosts, it was enough to secure the three points and lift them above Carl Heeley’s men.
Gloucester came out of the traps quickly and Waldon flashed a shot wide before Darren Edwards headed a Joe Parker corner on to the roof of the net.
The hosts were almost caught out after 16 minutes when former Tiger, Tyler Weir, was beaten to the ball by Parker and the midfielder took it round Jose Veiga but the left-back redeemed himself to divert the ball away from the empty net.
After 20 minutes the visitors’ pressure paid off when Edwards found Waldon on the edge of the box and the striker hit a dipping volley which nestled in the back of the net.
Worcester’s response was spirited and Aaron Williams curled an effort which Mike Green saved well before a dangerous George Williams cross was well defended by Markus Giglio.
The Tigers almost doubled their lead just before the half hour mark but Edwards sweetly struck half-volley was well held by Veiga.
With two minutes to go before the break Ethan Moore latched onto a Daniel Nti flick, but City’s top scorer was denied by Green, who pushed his effort round the post.
Waldon almost doubled his tally just after the restart when the visitors hit on the counter, but his fierce drive was beaten over the crossbar by the Portuguese stopper.
City had a great chance to equalise after an hour when Weir broke and fed the onrushing Williams, the midfielder picked out Nti in the box but he skied his effort when well placed.
Another chance went begging for the hosts two minutes later when Weir’s cross-field ball found Williams again and with the keeper stranded his header bounced agonisingly wide.
It should have been 2-0 to Gloucester after 71 minutes when Veiga came out to tackle Waldon, the ball fell to Edwards who miscued his first time effort wide.
As the game neared its end Heeley’s men laid siege to the Tigers box and Moore twice missed golden opportunities to snatch a point, the second of which saw him blaze over the bar with an open goal in front of him.
The result leaves City 20th in the table but with a game in hand on Gloucester who leapfrogged them into 19th place.
