RACING CLUB WARWICK 4-1 WORCESTER CITY: THE MOWDOG'S MATCH REPORT & MORE IMAGES...

 Worcester City Fall To A Quartet Of Headers…

Racing Club Warwick 4-1 Worcester City

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Four headed goals won this game deservedly for the hosts and in fact both teams missed other headed opportunities too. It was remarkable that Worcester succumbed aerially though because the City skipper, the powerful Jordan Stoddart, was built like an imposing and powerful adversary in a warlike computer game… 

Two early goals by the Racers killed the game somewhat although Kyonn Evans raised the vociferous City fans’ hopes with a first-half strike, only for the tall Warwick left-back Archie Hamp to restore his team’s two goal advantage before the break for tea and biscuits. Hamp in fact had missed a previous headed chance, rising totally unchallenged to power the creative Cam Ebbutt’s free-kick wide of the target but Hamp’s ability to make occasional long runs through the inside-left channel hurt City several times too. 

Apart from City’s hesitancy in defence when the ball was played in high from crosses, set-pieces and also of course from defender Callum Rudd’s huge throws, they were hurt by strong performances from the RCW midfielders too. Ebbutt, the tireless Connor Mort, the sparky and zealous James Hancocks and the interceptor, Callum Scott, were well in command for much of the contest.  Subsequently though, neither goalkeeper made more than a couple of saves each…

Home gloveman Dan Crane got down well after the break to turn away a shot by George Baker and visiting custodian Haydn Whitcombe saved smartly from Hamp before half-time and kicked away a late shot by Ebbutt after the wily midfielder’s free-kick from downtown had been charged down by City’s defensive wall. A smart flick at the near post early on by Rudd had clipped the outside of a City post too…

Warwick v Worcester reads like a cricket fixture but in truth the Racers looked a more comfortable crew on their own patch than last week’s poor performance on the mud at the Lye. Some neat passing play was evident against City but it was strange that neither striker was heavily involved, possession wise. Hamp did send Harry White clear on one occasion but the willing forward shot too high and of course Kory Burke netted with a far post header for his team, described with the other goals later in this article.

The officials…

The officials seemed to do a fair job, even admitting to an error on one occasion but visiting replacement Marvellous Onabirekhanlen was allowed three fouls, then a talking to with his skipper Stoddart after his fourth misdemeanour, before finally receiving a yellow card late on for his fifth indiscretion… Badly done, officials on that occasion. The ball did strike the arm of home defender Ben Kendrick too, which on another day, or in front of another referee, might have resulted in a spot-kick for City.

Other cautions were earned by Racers Rudd, Hancocks and of course Ebbutt.

Worcester’s offense…

Like Racers’ full-backs Hamp and Jay Dlionga, City’s pair Joe Hunt and the nimble Dan Okojie were always willing to push forward but although Baker worked hard in midfield for the guests, Elliot Hartley was the standout creator for his team, on one occasion making a fine challenge on RCW substitute Josh Parsons at the left upright to prevent a goal.

Certainly the visitors made a few chances themselves but Evans was afforded little service to be fair, whilst Dylan Hart caused two moments of real danger. A fine rush at inside-left took him past the advancing Crane but too wide and his byline delivery won him only a first period corner, from which he nodded too high. After the break, his lunging header from Hartley’s neat centre flew disappointingly off target. 

The goals…

RCW scored from a right-flank centre in the opening moments, whereupon Rudd rose unencumbered like a hunting heron to nod the ball over the line at the far stick and the hosts led 1-0…

Visiting goalie Whitcombe was unable to reach Ebbutt’s left-side corner and Burke rose unchallenged at the far post to head downwards and into the net for 2-0.

A shot by James Batchelor was blocked in a melee but the alert Hart, in traffic, nudged the ball sideways for Evans to fire low past the helpless Crane and City were back in the contest at 2-1.

A long right-wing throw by Rudd was slightly glanced on towards the far post where the unmarked Mort nodded it upwards into the middle of the 6-yard box, where Hamp beat colleague White to the ball and scored easily with his close range header.

Warwick’s goal four stemmed from a short pass by Ebbutt to Parsons, whose left-wing centre dropped onto Mort’s head beyond the far upright and his downward header beat Whitcombe with some ease.

The final words… 

A pleasant afternoon, despite a few drops of rain and a spectacular charcoal cloud, although a double-rainbow was visible for a short time. My concessionary ticket, torn by the chap who took my cash is not a collector’s item to go alongside cup final tickets and suchlike but I guess I had proof of payment…

I like Townsend Meadow and the folks who run the club…

THE BODGING KINDA LIKES TOWNSEND MEADOW TOO...