LIVE updates from our man at Aggborough, Jonny Bonell, where Worcester City get back to Vanarama Conference North action with their Boxing Day fixture against Hednesford Town.
The live update has now finished.
– Referee Andy Hendley has called a halt to proceedings. The ball has not been moving on the pitch for the last half an hour but it is only now he decides to call a halt to the game. Hednesford players and staff are fuming at the referee as their 3-0 lead now counts for nothing. Hutchison’s own goal had the visitors ahead at the break before Batchelor and then Walker put Hednesford in control. It all counts for nothing now though. Thanks for following today.
75mins: GAME ABANDONED
70min: Those goals have sucked all the drive which City had at the start of the second period. City’s unbeaten home league record this season looks like it is coming to an abrupt end.
More on goals: Just as I was writing that Batchelor had deflected home Walker’s shot to give Hednesford a two-goal lead, Walker then bursts straight up towards Vaughan’s goal again and fires into the far corner from the edge of the box.
64min: GOAL: Worcester City 0-3 Hednesford Town – Glenn Walker
62min: GOAL: Worcester City 0-2 Hednesford Town – Richard Batchelor
60min: SUB: Jordan Murphy is now replaced by Michael Taylor for City.
59min: Murphy jinks his way past three in the Hednesford box before his pull-back is just about diverted away by Hednesford.
58min: Murphy back on and the drop-ball between the two failed to bounce, just stuck to the surface.
55min: Snow falling incredibly heavy now. Play stopped as Murphy lies face down in the mud. Trainers on the pitch.
51min: Neat play between Jackman, Nti and Gedddes sees Nti get space in the box but his low cross is held well by Crane. Osborne then has appeals for a penalty waved away as he goes down under a challenge from Hutchison.
48min: Geddes takles aim from fully 35-yards and as it flies towards the top corner Crane makes a safe stop. Conditions getting worse by the second, the ball being held up now by the mud.
46min: Symons wins a flick on and as Nti prepares to shoot Hurst puts in a vital challenge. The Hednesford defender then makes an even better block to deny Murphy after Geddes’ initial effort was saved. Good start by City.
Attendance: 814
The teams are back out and the second half is underway.
– Not much of a Christmas cracker here, in main due to the conditions at Aggborough. Pouring rain and even snow has left the pitch in a terrible state and means the game has really been devoid of any quality. Hutchison diverted a cross into his own net to give the visitors the lead as that goal best sums up the first 45 minutes.
HALF TIME: WORCESTER CITY 0-1 HEDNESFORD TOWN
45min: Nti almost firing an equaliser as he cut in from the left but Crane palmed it away.
45min: Snow has now started falling at Aggborough. If this weather continues I would be surprised to see it last the 90 minutes.
44min: Hurst makes a bursting run down the right and gets into the box but his drilled strike across the face just whistles past the far post.
43min: Indecision between Rowe and Vaughan gives the initiative back to Hednesford but the attack is lackluster and results in a poor Hurst cross.
41min: Good spell of pressure here from City, passing the ball as well as possible before Deeney took range from 25-yards but flew straight over.
37min: Long clearance from Rowe causes all sorts of problems between Bailey and McCone and Nti nicks inbetween them but as he takes the ball round Crane his touch was heavy and Hurst gets back to slide the ball away from the strikers feet.
32min: Yellow card: Rowe goes into the book for a rash challenge on Diggin.
More on goal: Batchelor received the ball on right and whipped a dangerous ball in which Hutchison tried to defend but it ended up striking the defenders leg and looping over Vaughan into the back of the net.
30min: GOAL: Worcester City 0-1 Hednesford Town – Hutchison OG
28min: Really horrendous conditions here, puddles starting to form all over the pitch.
26min: Thomas then tries to take on the entire team before his weak shot is well saved. Large appeals from Hednesford fans as Vaughan comes sliding out of his box but the referee deemed he had let the ball go before he made his way out his area.
25min: Thorley’s free-kick causes danger in the City box as Vaughan nearly fumbles the delivery before gaining it at the second attempt. Down the other end Nti’s squared ball couldn’t be brought under control by Murphy before Symons follow up was well blocked by Bailey.
20min: Couple of nasty challenges flying in and Osborne lucky not to go into the book for a rash slide on Weir.
18min: Hutchison adjudged to have brought down Osborne on the edge of the box. Ex-City captain Thorley goes for goal and it dips just over the top of the bar. closest we have come.
16min: A real lack of quality from both teams so far. More about being able to play the pitch this afternoon.
10min: Deeney cuts in from the right for City and curls an effort with his left foot which Crane beats out and Symons’ follow-up header was then caught by the Hednesford stopper.
9min: Conditions really playing a part in proceedings here, Murphy looking lively down Worcester’s left.
6min: Weir whips a good ball in from the right but Symons doesn’t connect with his header and the ball is taken away from Hutchison’s feet as it bobbled in the Hednesford box.
3min: Campion wins a corner early on off Nti. Pitch already taking a battering. Delivery comes to nothing.
KICK OFF
– The teams are out and we are about ready for kick-off.
– The rain is beating down here and the pitch looks like it is struggling at the minute, we will see how it lasts when the game starts.
– Also, great to see George Williams named on the bench for Barnsley’s trip to Preston today.
– Carl Heeley makes one change to the side that were narrowly beaten by Halifax in midweek. Connor Gater comes in for Shabir Khan, with Danny Jackman likely to play left-back and Gater to take his place in the centre of the park. Tyler Weir will continue at right back while a search for George Williams’ replacement continues. For the visitors ex-City captain Tom Thorley starts in the middle of the park but another former Worcester man Danny Glover completed his move to Stockport County earlier this week so doesn’t feature.
Teams are in:
Worcester City: Nathan Vaughan; Tyler Weir, Graham Hutchison, Jacob Rowe, Danny Jackman; Connor Gater, Ellis Deeney (C); Daniel Nti, Sean Geddes, Jordan Murphy; Mike Symons SUBS: Nick Wright, Michael Taylor, Tristan Dunkley, Wayne Thomas, Jose Veiga.
Hednesford Town: Dan Crane; James Hurst, Darren Campion (C), Ben Bailey, Paul McCone; Tom Thorley, Jamey Osborne, Glenn Walker, Richard Batchelor; Jack Thomas, Steve Diggin SUBS: Alex Melbourne, Marvin Robinson, Chris Westwood, Paul Sullivan
Referee: Andy Hendley
– Pitch has certainly seen better days here, Town players out warming up currently.
– A belated Happy Christmas and welcome to a wet and chilly Aggborough, the temporary home of the Blue and Whites, where Carl Heeley’s men will be looking to secure themselves the perfect Boxing Day gift with a victory over last season’s play-off semi-finalists Hednesford Town.