CITY chief Chris Cornes has vowed to go ‘back to basics’ in defence as the Blue and Whites prepare to celebrate the club’s 120th anniversary.
Worcester welcome Shifnal Town to Claines Lane on Saturday (December 10) on a landmark day for the club and its faithful supporters.
The clash with the Black Country outfit will kick off at 2pm, 90 minutes after a fan zone opens at the ground with City chiefs hoping to attract a bumper crowd to celebrate the special birthday.
And while he is looking forward to his home bow as manager, Cornes said there was ‘work to do’ following Saturday’s 5-4 rollercoaster loss at Whitchurch Alport.
Cornes fell to defeat in his first game at the helm despite seeing his side go 2-0 and then 3-1 in front on a yo-yo afternoon in Shropshire.
Early goals from debutant Dylan Hart and Reiss Taylor-Randle put City into an early two goal lead, before James Rowland pulled one back for the hosts on the half hour mark.
Hart completed a debut brace in the opening moments of the second half before the hosts pulled the game level with two goals in five minutes. Sam Yeardley reduced the deficit with a great strike, before Alex Hughes made it 3-3.
Taylor-Randle made it 4-3 with a bundled effort before Alport levelled again through Jordan Evans just minutes after Dan Skelton was sent to the sin-bin.
The home side’s late pressure was rewarded as Hughes rose the highest to head home to hand Whitchurch all three points.
Speaking after the game, Cornes said there were a lot of positives to take from the game but said his side were ‘naive’ in the certain situations.
“We didn’t go into the game thinking we’d just come here and beat them, a change of manager doesn’t always do that,” the City manager said.
“If you come away from home and score four goals you should win the game. We’ve let ourselves down in areas we shouldn’t really.
“When you go 2-0 up we should be turning the screw and getting the third.
“I feel we have gifted them two maybe three goals, we will work again on patterns of play and dust ourselves off for Shifnal.”
Malvern Town, meanwhile, tackle Thornbury Town on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) looking to get back on the goal-scoring trail after drawing a blank for the first time since the end of August.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Wantage Town did yield an upward move for the Hillsiders though as they rose to the summit of Hellenic Premier Division on goal difference with former sole leaders Cribbs in FA Vase action.
Karl Gormley’s men welcome Chipping Sodbury Town to Sixways on Saturday (kick off 3pm).
