2017/18
2004/5 - 2022/23
CITY v Shepshed Dynamo – Saturday 30th Septrmber 2017
City continued their impressive home form to see off a stubborn Shepshed Dynamo, who were left wondering how they had lost a game they should, at least, have drawn or won. It took a very late strike from newly-signed Mark Tomkinson to give the City all three points, which even the most ardent City fan could hardly comprehend. Shepshed led the City defence a merry dance all afternoon, leaving a frustrated City attack kicking their heels along with the fans. It took a goalkeeping howler by the visitors to gift City the lead. Lee Hughes chased a hopeful ball down the left hand side side, his cross was too close to the keeper but, perhaps because of the greasy surface, he dropped it to give Dave Reynolds the easiest goal he will ever score.
The second half continued must as the first with City under intense pressure from the visitng forwards. Amazingly, in a quick break into attack a mishit cross saw Lee Hughes hit a wonderful shot into the roof of the net. Even at 2-0 it was never going to be enough and it came as little surprise when Shepshed pulled one back straight away before they drew level. The next goal was always going to settle the encounter and it was Tomkinson's sweet strike that ensured the visitors went home scratching their heads with no points to show for all their effort.
The first season at the new level started on 5th August 2017 with a 1-0 away win at Daventry in the FA cup (goal scorer: Dave Reynolds), but this was as far as City got in this competition as, following a 1-1 draw at home to Chasetown, City went out in a replay losing by two goals, ensuring there would be no heroics in that competition in 2017/8.
CITY v Heanor Town – Saturday 12th August 2017
There were 379 supporters to watch the first game in the Midland Football Alliance, at home to Heanor Town. It was an almost totally new line-up for City with only Lee Hughes, Tyler Weir and Matt Burley being instantly recognisable to City fans. City were comfortable winners by three goals to nil with two goals from Dave Reynolds and one from Mark Smith.
CITY v AFC Wulfrunians – Tuesday 15th August 2017
A quick double-header for City saw them demolish a poor-looking Wulfrunians by five goals to nil. There were two more goals from Dave Reynolds and one from Brad Birch, but of most interest was to see a reinvigorated Mark Danks also notch a brace of goals. Despite the score line the visitors created plenty of chances and were not as bad as suggested by the result.
CITY v Loughborough University – Saturday 26th August 2017
The leaks in City’s defence that had been ruthless exploited by Chasetown in the FA Cup were again exposed as a vibrant performance by the youngers from the University all but snatched a draw from a fascinating evenly-balanced game at the Victoria Ground. Alexandru Albert scored his first goal for City netting from a corner before Mark Danks doubled the lead. The students pulled one back in the 70th minute and, after Tyler Weir had missed a penalty, it was a desperate battle to hold on for all three points.
Lye Tow v City– Saturday 9th September 2017
After the Loughborough game, it was obvious that City’s talented mixture of experience and youth would need time to get together as a team and it proved to be so with a sound beating 3-0 away at Coventry United and a very disappointing 2-2 draw at Long Eaton United (goal scorer: Mark Danks (2)).
A win at the quaint old ground at Lye was definitely the order of the day and Dave Reynolds’s neat finish late in the game was just what was needed. City looked strong in all areas of the pitch and despite the narrow margin of victory City were well worth all three points.
CITY v Quorn – Saturday 16th September 2017
Quorn, a small village in Leicestershire, was another team that Worcester had not played previously, and after this 8-0 thrashing the visitors will not be relishing the return fixture in April 2018. City were not quite to the pitch of the game in the opening quarter but once they had taken the lead three more goals quickly followed. The second half could not live up to the pace of the first but as the visitors tired City added four more goals late in the game, leaving the statisticians to work out when Worcester last one a league game by eight goals to nil. For the record, this was Folkestone Invicta way back in the 1986/7 season.
City’s goal scorers in this latest victory were Mark Danks (2); Dave Reynolds; Lee Hughes Kyonn Evans, Josh Sarmento, James Baldwin and Brad Birch.
Boldmere St Michaels v CITY– Saturday 23th September 2017
Worcester’s first experience of the artificial 3G pitch at their hosts neat ground underneath the flight path to Birmingham Airport nearly turned into an afternoon to forget as City battled out a breath-taking 4-3 win in the FA Vase second qualifying round. The lead changed hands three times in this enthralling tough encounter. City were caught napping early on and were soon a goal down. The team upped their game and Danks found Dave Reynolds for the equaliser just before half time. The same duo was at it again soon after half time but this time it was Mark Danks who scored with a lovely lob. City should have scored again and with injuries disrupting the game plan Boldmere sent the game into extra time with an equaliser on 89 minutes. Worse was to follow as the home team scored again inside a minute of the start of extra time. As the extra time period wore on it became obvious that the overstretched home defence would not be able to hold out for the win, this confirmed when Dave Reynolds left them in his wake to beat the keeper with a fine strike. After the interval City struck the decisive winning goal. Few in the ground expected Kyonn Evans to get to an over-hit pass that almost went behind for a goal kick, but he did and turned to deliver an inch perfect cross to the only other player on either team with energy to spare. If you leave Lee Hughes with only the keeper to beat it is only ever going to end in the famous Lee Hughes jig celebration. A wonderful game and the winners deserve their place in the next round.
Lye Town.
Goals galore against Quorn. Josh Samento (left, nearest camera)) scores the second and Mark Danks (right, out of camera view) scores the third.
Above Left: Boldmere St Michaels neat little stand and 3G pitch.
Above right: City celebrate Dave Reynolds scoring to make it 3 goals each.
The rest of the 2017/8 passed by in a blur of what if? What if the Chairman has not announced that the club might be going all amateur?
What if? What if?
Through a season of deep disappointment two things stood out about all else:
The deepening rift between the supporters and the club.
The stupid decision of some councillors on Worcester City Council to vote against the plan to relocate to Perdswell and instead waste taxpayers money on a non-starter proposal to instead go to a field at Pasonage Way.
Andrew Smith