2015/16
2004/5 - 2022/23
ABANDONED BY WORCESTER CITY COUNCIL
WORCESTER CITY v STOCKPORT COUNTY - SATURDAY 9TH APRIL 2016
After a truly poor second-half Worcester's long unbeaten home run came to an end. It was certainly a game of two halves as City dominated the first half and fell apart in the second. Lee Hughes fired Worcester into a fourth minute lead when he chased down a backpass and the goalkeeper's attempted clearance hit him and bounced back into the net. County struck back to level the scores before Hughes scored again to give City a 2-1 half time lead.
The second half was a nightmare for City fans as County spent the whole period camped in the home team's half of the field. City had just two breakaways to show to their credit in the second half but it was little surprise when County struck twice late in the game to deservedly gather all three points.
WORCESTER CITY v BRADFORD PARK AVENUE - TUESDAY 5TH APRIL 2016
After a long list of drawn games including against Solihull Moors (2-2 with City gaining a last-gasp point thanks to Lee Hughes) and North Ferriby United (3-3 with Jordan Murphy hitting a late equaliser) City had slipped dangerously close to the drop zone into 18th place in the league. A win was badly needed and duly delivered by means of a great free-kick by Daniel Nti either side of two spectacular goals by Lee Hughes.
City started brightly playing some neat possession football but it was the route one approach that broke the deadlock on ten minutes. Nathan Vaughan's long clearance deceived the Bradford left-back and Hughes pounced on the ball and superbly drilled it past the oncoming keeper to give City the lead. Bradford fought back hard and duly equalised with a superb overhead kick. Bradford wasted several good chances to lead the game but it was City who were able to take control again when Nti's free kick from wide out on the left was superbly struck to leave the Bradford keeper with no chance to make the save. Just when it looked as though City would take a narrow lead into the half time break, Hughes struck again after being played through by Burton. Again the keeper came out to try to make the save but Hughes calmly lifted the ball over his head into the net.
The second half was a case of City's defence holding on against ever more desperate attacking from the visitors but City held on for a vital three points that moves them to14th in the table.
WORCESTER CITY v FCUM - SATURDAY 5TH MARCH 2016
On the day when the shameful behaviour of Worcester City Council took centre stage this nil nil draw was secondary.
WOE
WORCESTER CITY v CORBY - SATURDAY 16TH JANUARY 2016
Worcester blew away a perfect opportunity to place some space between them and the bottom in this proverbial six-pointer but poor defending cost them all the points. The first half of the game was awful and when a tame headed goal handed Corby the lead right on half time it was clearly not going to be Worcester's day.
As the game went on City improved and looked to have grabbed an unlikely point with a goal by Shaun Donnellan three minutes from time only for Ethan Ross to turn a tame cross into his own goal to hand the points to the visitors.
MAYHEM
WORCESTER CITY v GLOUCESTER CITY - SATURDAY 2ND JANUARY 2016
Games between these two local rivals rarely end with 11 players per team still on the pitch and the National League always seem to deliver the worst possible referee into this Lions Den of a fixture. 2015/16s fall guy was Ben Cooke, who many felt had handed Worcester a win on Boxing Day when he harshly reduced Gloucester to ten men. He equalled things up a week later handing Gloucester the game with the award of the softest of penalties early in the second half and then after brandising yellow cards like confetti issued two long-range yellows to Worcester's goalkeeper well after the game had finished.
Before that both teams had tried to play football in the face of the elements. Deon Burton's clinical header gave Worcester the lead but try as hard as they could they failed to add to their tally and conceded an unlikely equaliser with a wicked deflection that wrong-footed Nathan Vaughan.
Referees in the National League are rarely anything other than poor and to schedule the same referee for two local derbies so close together seems to be sheer folly. The thought that if Worcester stay in this league and end up playing Kidderminster on Boxing Day and again on New Year's day is not a pleasant thought. It is time for a rethink by the league, who need to consider having only one local derby game at Christmas and the other at Easter with a different referee.
WHO ATE ALL THE PIES?
WORCESTER CITY v BRACKLEY TOWN - MONDAY 28th DECEMBER 2015
After a stunning Boxing Day win at Whaddon Road, City were forced to make two emergency loan signings to shore up a battered defence. Both players were from West Bromwich Albion and they turned in a faultless display in a game dominated by defences. The vistors created the best chances but did little to suggest they would ever score a goal. City were missing Lee Hughes and with several other players absent or playing on regardless of injury it was no surprise that City could not break through either. Some fans expressed their displeasure vocally but this is not fair as City have an enviable recent league record of four wins and a draw in the last six games.
LEE HUGHES SETS CITY ALIGHT
WORCESTER CITY v GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY - SATURDAY 19th DECEMBER 2015
A fierce south-westerly wind and rain made this game tough viewing for a good pre-Christmas crowd but they were warmed by one of the best goals of the season as City swept from defence to attack in the blink of an eye. Lee Hughes provided the pinpoint finish that gave City the lead but much credit also goes to Daniel Nti for his superb cross after a fine run down the City right. It was City's first shot of the game as the conditions and a strong defence made things difficult.
This was a game in which defences were on top and apart from the Lee Hughes goal there were few goalscoring opportunities. City wrapped the points up a few minutes before the end when onloan midfielder Ebby Nelson-Addy struck with a sweep drive.Three much needed points for Worcester at last providing some breathing space in the battle at the bottom of the league.
HARD LANDING FOR BIG CLUB
WORCESTER CITY v TELFORD UNITED - SATURDAY 21st NOVEMBER 2015
Despite a plethora of new faces it was yet another poor showing from “Big Club” Telford United who, in the space of barely twenty half minutes, were ripped apart by Worcester City.
It was a devastating loss for the visitors who remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the table, a place occupied as recently as Tuesday by Worcester City.
With both teams needing the points it was always going to be a nervy and edgy start to the game with every player working as hard to possible to ensure they did not make a mistake and hand the advantage to the other.
Telford for all their fancy midfield play created but one chance in the whole game and this ended with a header directed nearer to the corner flag than the wide-open goal. That chance came and went in the first half and once City had introduced a blend of youth and experience at half time in the shape of fans favourites Wayne Thomas and Tristian Dunkley it was City who stepped up a gear.
It was only a matter of time before City scored and the goal came on sixty minutes when Wayne Thomas rose unchallenged in the box to head home courtesy of the fast-asleep United defence.
There never looked like there would be a way back for the visitors and things got even worse a few minutes later when Ellis Deeney’s sublime free-kick beat the Telford keeper’s despairing dive.
A third goal for City completed the rout and was the signal for many of the Telford fans to head for the exits.
This win, coupled with a win against Boston United moves City up to 14th in the table and leaves Telford at the bottom.
SHEFFIELD UNITED v WORCESTER CITY – SATURDAY 7th NOVEMBER 2015
City's afternoon in the limelight of the First Round of the FA Cup ended in disappintment at the hands of a impressive Sheffield United team. It was always going to be tough ask for City and without the suspended duo of Lee Hughes and Sean Geddes it proved a task too difficult. There was little to choose between the teams in the first fifteen minutes but the home side then took the lead from the penalty spot after a clumsy attempt at a last ditch tackle saw the referee point to the spot. The score remained at 1 - 0 in favour of the home team as City held out until the interval.
With only one goal between the teams there was still all to play for and after the defence had endured a torrid time the visitors created a good chance to equalise but it was not taken and as time ran down City conceded two more goals to end up losing by 3 goals to nil.
It was however a superb day out for the City faithful marred only by the usual bunch of moronic cretins from "rent a crowd" who were last seen at Scunthorpe in 2014.
WORCESTER CITY v NUNEATON TOWN – SUNDAY 18th OCTOBER 2015
This was a game of two penalties - one given and one not and a bizarre performance by the referee.
There was little in the way of attacking prowess on show from either team with neither looking even remotely like breaking down the respective defences. Having fought themselves to a stalemate it was left to the referree to make some decisive actions. His first half performance was simply poor like most of the refs at this level. In the second half though he seemed unable to make the right decision at all. A series of poor decisions ended with the award of a penalty for handball after a free kick was quickly taken whilst the referee was setting the correct place for the City line to stand. Things got worse as first Burton was booked after he appeared to have been brought down in full flight and then Geddes, rather unwisely, joined the crowd in venting his frustration at the decision making. He was soon joined in the dressing rooms after a defender assaulted Connor Gudger in the Nuneaton penalty box. It looked an obvious penalty but the ref took the other view and after consulting his assistant gave a kick to Nuneaton. And that was just about it on a day of deep frustration.
WORCESTER CITY v HOLBEACH UNITED – TUESDAY 29th SEPTEMBER 2015
City progressed through to the third qualifying round with a comfortable 2-0 win against Hobeach whose goalkeeper had forced this replay after an injury time equaliser.
WORCESTER CITY v CHORLEY – SATURDAY 22nd AUGUST 2015
A goal in each half from an inspired Daniel Nti was not enough to secure Worcester a share of the spoils in this five goal thriller at Aggborough. Worcester showed enough of the fighting spirit that is going to be required to survive in this division to suggest that better things are not far away.
Worcester defended well for long periods and weathered an early storm from Chorley to come back strongly and deservedly lead after a nice finish by Nti. It should have been enough to give City a half time lead but an unfortunate own goal by Darren Campion ensured that this was not to be. Worse was to follow as a neat move down the City left ended with a good cross and an easy tap in for Chorley. Chorley seemed content that their day’s work was done and showed little in the way of adventure as they tried to wind down the clock. But after Ryan Rowe had narrowly failed to connect with the ball with only the keeper to beat it was up to Nti to beat all eleven with an early contender for goal of the season. The goals came direct for a superbly-taken free kick that gave the Chorley keeper no chance to make a save. Worcester pressed for a winner but were again reduced to ten men when Sean Geddes picked up two soft yellow cards.
Chorley sensed their chance and grabbed an undeserved injury time winner.
WORCESTER CITY v TAMWORTH – TUESDAY 11th AUGUST 2015
The first half of the season’s home opener was one to forget to City fans as they shipped two poor goals to one of the better teams in the league. To make matters worse full back Tyler Weir was helped from the field after a horrendous clash of heads. Tyler was the innocent partner, guilty only of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The second half saw City revert to a flat back four and the reorganised defence looked a lot more solid and this sparked a mini-revival that all but achieved a point that looked unlikely at half time. Ryan Rowe scored for City fifteen minutes from time and only a wonder save in injury time prevented an equaliser to leave a final score of City 1 Tamworth 2.