Worcester City 0-0 Rugby Town
FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
Jonny Bonell reports from Aggborough
WORCESTER City were made to pay for a number of missed chances as they were held to a goalless draw against Rugby Town in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round at Aggborough on Saturday (October 12)
The visitors, who play in the Southern League Division One Central, also had a number of opportunities to win the match but the draw means the two will now meet each other again tomorrow (Tuesday) night, at Butlin Road.
Rugby started the brighter of the two sides and within ten minutes could, and maybe should, have taken the lead. First, Justin Marsden’s defence splitting ball found David Kolodynski whose shot was brilliantly saved by Jose Veiga.
Seb Lake-Gaskin then miscued an effort when one-on-one with Veiga, before Ellis Myles played in Kolodynski once more, but his curling effort sailed wide of the mark.
The visitors continued to press as Sam Youngs’ perfect free-kick fell to the feet of Lake-Gaskin, but the former City front-man couldn’t find his composure and blazed well over the bar from eight yards.
After 20 minutes of being camped in their own half, Carl Heeley’s men started to force their way back into the game and were inches away from taking the lead after 35 minutes.
Tom Thorley took range from 25 yards out, and his fierce drive could only be palmed away by Niall Cooper, a coming together between Cooper and Daniel Nti allowed the ball to fall kindly to Danny Glover, whose chipped effort bobbled wide of the post.
In the closing stages of the first half City started to dominate, Richard Taundry fired narrowly wide of the near post before Aaron Williams missed a one-on-one with Cooper, having been set through by Nti.
The chances didn’t ease up in the second half, as Nti’s acrobatic flick fell just wide, before George Williams picked out namesake Aaron in the box, but he hammered the ball over the bar when un-marked.
The visitors had late appeals for a penalty when Shab Khan blocked in the area, but the officials dismissed the handball claims, before Nti put his free header over the angle of post and bar.
City manager, Heeley, was astounded the game ended scoreless, blaming a lack of composure from both sides, but was happy to be in the hat for the next round.
“I think it was a classic game of missed chances from both sides,” he said. “Obviously in the first 20 minutes Rugby had three or four good chances to score, but we had a lot of good chances aswell.
“In fairness neither side looked like they had any conviction, so all in all, although the most unlikeliest of results if you look at the chances, I think a draw is a fair one.
“Nobody has a divine right to win a game of football, nobody has got a divine right to progress into the next round because you’re playing a lower ranked opposition.
“You have to be on your game and there were probably too many areas that we weren’t at it today, and fortunately we’ve got another opportunity and we’ve got to learn from what we know today and move on.”
City or Rugby will play host to Lincoln City should they progress to the next round.
