Worcester City 3-5 Sporting Khalsa
Midland Football League Premier Division
Rob George reports from the Victoria Ground
THE FIRST month of 2018 brought Worcester City’s first home league defeat of the season as promotion rivals Sporting Khalsa put them to the sword.
City were never going to lose at home in a dull 1-0 reverse and so it proved in an eight goal spectacular which came despite the boggy Victoria Ground pitch which has been battered by the January elements.
Mark Danks, Nathan Vaughan and Alex Tomkinson came into the side which defeated Westfields 4-2 on the road on Wednesday to replace Lee Hughes, Matt Gywnne and Matt Birley.
Perhaps an indication of the afternoon to come came in just the second minute when a goal kick from Khalsa’s Sam Arnold travelled the length of the pitch to force Vaughan to push it against the bar.
The visitors grew in confidence and Jak Jeys low shot called Vaughan into action on 15 minutes with the keeper’s legs deflecting it away for a corner.
City failed to clear the ball from the resulting corner and Jeys was on hand to fire home from close range to hand Khalsa the lead they would never surrender.
The home side rallied and a lovely flick on from Dave Reynolds found Danks through on goal but his first time shot sailed wide.
Following a free kick on the left, Jordan Stoddart cleared the ball behind for a corner and for City’s set piece nightmares to continue.
Khalsa’s Craig Bannister sent a great corner right on to the forehead of skipper Tesfa Robinson at the near post to double the visitor’s advantage after 33 minutes.
And it was 3-0 five minutes later as the livewire Jeys controlled the ball on the edge of the area, back to goal, turned and curled a beauty into the top corner to cap a fabulous first half.
Wayne Thomas and Mark Danks were hauled off at the break to be replaced by Mark Smith and James Baldwin as City sought to start the second half well.
But just eight minutes had ticked by when a corner for City came out as far as Jeys who proceeded to run the length of the field criminally unchallenged to fire low past Vaughan to complete his hat-trick and make it 4-0.
A truly bizarre afternoon then saw the unlikeliest of comebacks as a George Forsyth thunderbolt from outside the area was well saved by Arnold but Reynolds was on hand to bury the loose ball to make it 4-1 with half an hour to play.
Tomkinson was at the heart of most of City’s good work and was on the end of a clever Reynolds cross on 70 minutes with a header to make it 2-4.
The impossible then became increasingly possible six minutes later when more excellent approach work saw the ball fed into Tomkinson who laid the ball off for Jamie Smith to power it home from 18 yards to make 3-4.
But Jeys was to have the last word and although his shot was saved by Vaughan, the ball trickled towards the line and the clever forward was on hand to seal three points with his fourth and Khalsa’s fifth.
He was applauded off by the majority of the 375 in attendance soon after and a number made their feelings known towards the City management at the end.
“It was our first league defeat at home this season and it’ll be the last,” Snape said after the game, for City’s sake one hopes he is right.
Because this is a team which flourishes going forward but is capable of some very average days at the back.
Encouragement is needed on and off the pitch, hopefully the three week break before the next home clash will ensure absence makes the heart grow fonder for some of those in the stands.
