WORCESTER 0 COUNTY 0 (From South Wales Argus)

WORCESTER 0 COUNTY 0

10:05pm Monday 19th January 2009 in Latest Football By Andrew Penman

NEWPORT County were denied a fourth-successive win by the width of a post at Worcester City tonight.

Craig Reid’s 76th minute effort was inches away from giving the Exiles all three points in an entertaining match at St George’s Lane but in truth a draw was probably a fair result.

Manager Dean Holdsworth, who lives in Worcester, had a short journey to the match and he made just one change from Saturday’s fantastic 3-1 win at Fisher Athletic, Danny Rose back from suspension in place of Kevin Cooper, as he stuck to his tried and trusted 4-5-1 formation.

After a scrappy opening 10 minutes County’s plans were disrupted when left-back Martyn Giles was forced off with what looked like a rib injury.

With the newly-signed Matt Smith not among the substitutes Holdsworth sent on Ashley Vickers to play on the left.

Play was stopped again three minutes later with Glyn Thompson receiving treatment after diving at the feet of Matt Dinsmore to brilliantly deny the Worcester forward.

The home side were beginning to get on top and Matt Dodd wasted a great opportunity on 17 minutes when, with Dinsmore unmarked in the middle, the winger’s wayward cross sailed out for an Exiles throw.

Loan star Steve Butterworth, who enjoyed a dream debut on Saturday, had County’s first effort on goal on 20 minutes and Rose fired wide soon after but Worcester continued to look the more likely to break the deadlock.

Kris Leek, who also shone at Fisher, was a danger with his long throws, however, and Scott Rogers got on the end of one only to poke the ball just over the top of Danny McDonnell’s goal.

Leek was involved again on 32 minutes, brilliantly slipping Reid in for a left-foot shot which McDonnell blocked well and the Exiles number nine put the rebound into the side netting.

County definitely ended an even first half on top and two minutes before the break Reid almost opened the scoring with a whipped free-kick from a central position 30 yards out but McDonnell tipped over as the ball was dipping under his crossbar.

Two minutes after the interval Butterworth put a speculative volley wide and at the other end Marco Addagio saw his goal-bound effort blocked.

Both sides had a man booked, Turk for County and Shabir Khan for Worcester, as the play became a little disjointed in the bitterly cold conditions.

The highly impressive Leek had the travelling fans from Newport excited with a vicious drive, which was just a yard wide, but Worcester should have taken the lead just before the hour mark.

Dinsmore’s perfectly weighted pass found Dodd on the right of the box and his drilled shot was smothered by the ever-reliable Thompson.

Lone ranger Reid, who held the ball up superbly all evening, almost took advantage of a miss-kick by McDonnell but the Worcester keeper made amends with a good stop.

His left-back Graham Ward then unleashed a thumping drive from 25 yards which cleared Thompson’s bar by no more than a foot as chances came thick and fast at both ends.

Worcester captain Craig Wilding looked set to test the County number one again but was denied by a great saving tackle from Aaron Cook.

Then came County’s best chance of the night with 14 minutes to go as Rogers found Reid with a searching ball down the centre.

Everyone in the ground thought the Exiles were a goal to the good but Reid’s shot clipped the inside of McDonnell’s right-hand post and rolled agonisingly along the line and out for a goal-kick meaning both sides had to settle for a point.

Boss Holdsworth revealed after the match he had agreed a deal to take Kaid Mohamed on a one month loan from Forest Green Rovers.

Worcester: McDonnell, Ward, Khan, Richardson, Barnes, Kemp, Dodd (Davies, 77), Walker (Price, 83), Wilding, Adaggio, Dinsmore.

Subs not used: Heeley, Fitzpatrick, Polan Booked: Khan (55)

County: Thompson, Jenkins, Giles (Vickers, 11) Turk, Cook, Cochlin, Rose (Armitage, 86), Butterworth (Cooper, 68), Reid, Rogers, Leek.

Subs not used: Manship, James Booked: Turk (52)

Referee: Ron Ganfield

Attendance: 759

Argus star man: Craig Reid